The Egyptian leather industry forged a stronger relations with its Saudi counterpart after the two reached agreements on further improving the quality of their products and expanding their market share. A delegation of Egyptian Chamber of Commerce and Leather Industry led by its Yahya Sayed Zulat and Hamdi Mahmood Harb, president of the Chamber of Tanning Leather visited the Jeddah chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) on Tuesday to activate the agreement signed last year between the two chambers. The delegation discussed joint cooperation in leather tanning, manufacturing, import and export of footwear and different leather products with Mustafa A.K. Sabri, secretary general of JCCI. Mamdouh Sabit Makki, president of the United Arab and African leather Industry said Egypt's participation in the leather exhibition in Riyadh it is a great opportunity. Egypt is ready to send its experts to Saudi Arabia and create an industrial integration between the two countries, since Egypt is the largest in the Middle East for leather industry and leather tanning. The two countries agreed to activate the work of the Joint Coordinating Committee, which was launched last year to increase the volume of Egyptian exports of natural leather, footwear and leather goods to the Saudi market. The Egyptian Committee for Export invited Saudi businessmen to see the opportunities in leather business and know the evolution of the industry. Egypt has a complete industrial city for the manufacture of leather covering an area of 200,000 square meters and consisting of 150 factories Saudi Arabia has 25 leather tanning factories. An agreement was also reached to send workers to join the Halwan University, Faculty of Engineering, which will open its doors next year in Egypt specializing in leather, said Nasir Omar Abdullah, president of the Tanning Leather Committee at JCCI. Some 60 Egyptian companies announced their participation in the leather industry exhibition in Riyadh on May 19-22 aimed at establishing joint ventures between the two countries.
