Maha Saleh, Assistant Minister of Industry for Industrial Policies, today inaugurated the 82nd edition of Cairo Fashion & Tex, held from October 2 to 4 alongside Cairo Mother and La Pyjama, under the sponsorship of the Ministries of Industry and Investment, with the support of the Ready-Made Garments Chamber of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, and organized by Pyramids Group International.
The current edition features the participation of more than 850 local and international brands across the ready-made garments, fabrics and production supplies sectors, alongside a hosted-buyer program bringing together more than 1,000 buyers and visitors from 18 countries, including Libya, Algeria, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Brazil, Sweden, Iraq, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Yemen, Indonesia and Spain. The program aims to strengthen direct connections between Egyptian companies and international markets and open new trade channels for Egyptian products.
During the opening ceremony, Maha Saleh, Assistant Minister of Industry, said the textiles and ready-made garments industry has promising opportunities for growth and expansion, supported by Egypt’s strong capabilities in raw materials, design and manufacturing. These advantages, she noted, support the state’s efforts to maximize value added and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian products in local and global markets.
She explained that Egyptian cotton is one of the key advantages of Egypt’s textile industry, particularly amid growing global interest in the commodity, stressing the importance of continuing efforts to develop its applications and maximize its utilization across the various stages of production in order to increase the value added of Egyptian products.
Saleh also pointed to flax as another important opportunity for the Egyptian industry, given the country’s capabilities in this field, which could support the development of an integrated industry and enable manufacturers to capitalize on opportunities available in international markets.
She highlighted the notable growth of local brands and Egyptian designers in recent years, stressing the importance of continuing to develop products and designs that combine Egyptian identity with a global character, thereby strengthening the presence of Egyptian products in international markets.
She added that Egypt and the Arab region have an industrial base and technical expertise that qualify them to play a pivotal role in global manufacturing supply chains. The presence of a number of international brands in the region, she noted, reflects the manufacturing capabilities available in the industry and creates further opportunities for growth and expansion.
Saleh stressed the importance of supporting Egyptian brands and enhancing their ability to access international markets through greater integration between raw materials, design, manufacturing and marketing, contributing to the development of higher-value and more competitive products.
She also underscored the importance of leveraging technological developments and data to improve marketing methods and gain a more accurate understanding of target-market needs, helping Egyptian companies reach the right consumers and markets while expanding their export opportunities.
She said developments in global markets are creating new opportunities for Egypt’s textiles and apparel industry, particularly amid growing interest in sustainability and environmentally friendly products. She stressed the importance of continuing to develop industrial and technological capabilities in line with the changing requirements of international markets.
Dr. Mohamed El-Sherif, Chairman of Pyramids Group International, organizer of Cairo Fashion & Tex, said the current edition is witnessing broad participation from a number of countries, including Türkiye, China and Russia, in addition to Egyptian participation. He noted that the exhibition reflects the significant development of Egypt’s apparel and textile industry, as well as the growing number of Egyptian factories and their ability to compete in both local and international markets.
He explained that the current edition features around 850 exhibitors, in addition to more than 1,000 foreign importers and buyers, including around 600 importers participating with the support of relevant authorities, as well as approximately 400 additional importers brought in by the organizing company. He said this strong turnout reflects growing interest in Egyptian products and creates new opportunities for local companies and factories to establish direct connections with international markets.
El-Sherif said the exhibition represents an important platform for connecting Egyptian producers with buyers from various markets, noting that trade shows have played a significant role over the years in supporting Egypt’s apparel industry and introducing foreign importers to local products. This, he added, has helped open new markets for Egyptian companies and strengthen export opportunities.
He added that state support for the trade-show ecosystem, whether through participation in international exhibitions, hosting foreign buyers, or organizing specialized visits and events, has helped create greater opportunities for Egyptian manufacturers and exporters to access international markets.
The Pyramids Group chairman affirmed that the company continues to support Egyptian industry through the organization of specialized trade shows, building on more than 35 years of experience in the sector. He said Cairo Fashion & Tex forms part of efforts to strengthen connections between Egyptian companies and their international counterparts and support the industry’s drive to increase exports.
He noted that Egypt’s apparel industry has undergone significant development over the past several decades compared with its early stages, when sector exports were limited. He stressed that the progress achieved in recent years reflects the ability of Egyptian industry to grow, compete and expand into international markets.
El-Sherif also highlighted the importance of strengthening the relationship between art and the fashion industry, as both fields are built on creativity, innovation and the expression of identity. He explained that incorporating Egyptian art and cultural elements into fashion designs gives local products a distinctive character and creates opportunities for designers and brands to leverage Egypt’s creative talent, helping produce items that carry a distinctly Egyptian identity while remaining competitive and capable of expanding in international markets.
El-Sherif also expressed his sincere appreciation to Eng. Alaa El-Beili, Chairman of the Exhibitions and Conferences Authority, for his support and cooperation in the success of the current edition of Cairo Fashion & Tex. He praised the authority’s role in supporting and organizing specialized exhibitions and creating opportunities for Egyptian companies to connect with international markets.
Mohamed Abdel Salam, Chairman of the Ready-Made Garments Chamber, said the scale of participation at Cairo Fashion & Tex reflects the efforts made by the organizing company, headed by Dr. Mohamed El-Sherif, as well as the development achieved by Egypt’s ready-made garments industry in recent years.
He explained that the Egyptian market has undergone a major transformation over the past six to seven years. Previously, products available in the market were roughly divided between 50% imported and 50% locally produced, whereas Egyptian products now account for around 90% of market offerings, compared with 10% for imported products.
Abdel Salam noted that this development resulted from the significant growth achieved by Egyptian industry, supported by the favorable environment provided by the state and the Ministry of Industry to manufacturers. This, he said, has contributed to expanding production capabilities, improving the quality of Egyptian products and keeping pace with global fashion trends.
He added that ready-made garment and textile exports reached approximately $3.4 billion in 2025, while exports increased by between 22% and 25% during the first nine months of 2026, with sector exports expected to approach $4 billion by the end of the current year.
He stressed that the development of the industry has also helped attract new investments into the sector from both Egyptian and foreign investors. The availability of infrastructure, a stable business environment and integrated production stages, he noted, are important factors in attracting investment and strengthening the competitiveness of Egyptian industry.
He pointed out that Egypt has an integrated base for apparel manufacturing, starting with cotton cultivation and extending through spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing and accessories production to ready-made garment manufacturing. This, he said, creates greater opportunities to maximize local value added and enhance the country’s competitiveness and export capacity.
The Chairman of the Ready-Made Garments Chamber praised the efforts of Egyptian manufacturers over the past five to seven years, stressing that the progress achieved during this period reflects the industry’s ability to grow and expand and opens new prospects in both domestic and international markets.
Adel El-Sherif, Chairman of Expo Book, the exhibition organizer, said the specialized trade-show industry is continuously developing in parallel with the growth of the ready-made garments sector. He noted that the success of any event depends on its ability to respond to the needs of companies and manufacturers, provide a genuine platform for showcasing new products and designs, and track market trends.
He added that the company has placed the development of events and improvement of services provided to exhibitors and visitors among its priorities, with the aim of offering a more organized and diverse experience and enhancing the ability of specialized exhibitions to serve the industry and showcase Egyptian companies and products.
He continued: “Holding La Pyjama alongside Cairo Fashion & Tex and Cairo Mother reflects a move toward building an integrated platform of specialized exhibitions serving the ready-made garments sector. This enables exhibitors and industry professionals to explore a broader range of products, designs and emerging market trends, while creating greater opportunities for partnerships and commercial cooperation between Egyptian companies and their counterparts in international markets.”
Meanwhile, Mohamed El-Safah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jeddah Exhibition and Events Center in Saudi Arabia, said during the exhibition that organizing such events reflects the growth of the fashion and apparel sector amid the increasing participation of designers, creatives and industry professionals. He stressed the importance of providing specialized platforms that bring together the various stakeholders across the sector and support opportunities for communication and cooperation.
He explained that the Jeddah Exhibition and Events Center is preparing to host the Saudi Luxury Fashion Exhibition, which aims to provide a specialized platform for the fashion industry and serve as a hub for designers, brands and creatives, while introducing new products and designs and supporting the sector’s growth.
El-Safah noted that hosting the upcoming exhibition is part of the role played by the Jeddah Chamber in supporting specialized events and exhibitions and strengthening the presence of creative industries. He stressed the importance of continuing to develop platforms that enable designers and fashion-industry professionals to access new markets and opportunities.
Actress Bushra said during her participation in the opening of the 82nd edition of Cairo Fashion & Tex that integration between the arts and industrial sectors is important. She noted that the exhibition’s reaching its current edition reflects continuity, perseverance and determination to develop the fashion and textile industry and create new opportunities for cooperation across different sectors.
She pointed out that artists’ participation in industry- and fashion-focused events reflects the integrated relationship between creative industries, explaining that “the relationship between textiles and art is a symbiotic one that cannot be separated,” given that both rely on creativity, innovation and the ability to develop new ideas and products.
She praised the scale of participation and organization at the exhibition, stressing that Egypt has a broad pool of talent and expertise capable of supporting various creative industries, in addition to its ability to host specialized events and accommodate more designers, brands and professionals working in the sector.
Bushra highlighted the role artists and influencers can play in raising awareness of industry and investment, particularly through their social media platforms, which provide access to millions of followers. She noted that an artist’s role is not limited to artistic work, but can extend to introducing audiences to events, economic sectors and industries that affect people’s daily lives.
She stressed the importance of raising awareness of the role of industry and investment in the economy, particularly given the nature of consumer societies and the need to maximize the use of available raw materials and resources. At the same time, she praised the development of Egyptian industry and the notable shift in the share of locally produced goods in the domestic market.
Bushra concluded her remarks by thanking the exhibition’s organizing company and Dr. Mohamed El-Sherif for inviting artists and influencers to participate in the current edition, stressing the importance of continuing such events and strengthening communication between creative industries and productive sectors.
Artist Mohamed Tharwat said during his participation in the opening of Cairo Fashion & Tex that he was pleased to attend the current edition, which features around 850 brands in the ready-made garments sector. He thanked Dr. Mohamed El-Sherif, Chairman of Pyramids Group International, the exhibition organizer, for inviting him to participate in the event, which brings together leading professionals and specialists from the apparel and fashion industry in Egypt and the Arab world.
Tharwat highlighted the importance of the concept raised by Dr. Mohamed El-Sherif regarding the connection between art and fashion, explaining that this integration represents an important area that can be further developed through the exhibition’s activities. Such cooperation, he said, can help highlight Egypt’s apparel industry and showcase its capabilities and products, while creating additional opportunities for designers and brands to connect with consumers and markets.
He stressed the importance of artists’ and influencers’ participation in promoting Egyptian industry and leveraging their platforms to highlight the development and achievements of the ready-made garments sector. He expressed his hope that participating artists could serve as ambassadors for Egyptian products and contribute to showcasing their ability to compete and reach global markets under the “Made in Egypt” banner.
