By – Mohamed Kamal
Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia announced today its first-ever annual UAE-Egypt Friendship Celebration, set to take place in Cairo from 4 – 7 December 2019. The curated programme will be showcased at City Centre Almaza, coinciding with the shopping mall’s grand opening on 5 December.
City Centre Almaza is Majid Al Futtaim’s fourth shopping mall in Egypt and is redefining retail and entertainment experiences for customers in Eastern Cairo. Located in Heliopolis, the mall sees a number of international brands being introduced to the market for the first time, including Hugo by Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Pinko, Ego, Philipp Plein, Elisabetta Franchi, Billionaire, Armani Caffé, and Twin-Set.
Created and designed by Majid Al Futtaim, UAE-Egypt Friendship Celebration is a showcase of Emirati culture and hospitality, building on the longstanding cultural and strategic ties between the UAE and Egypt. Set to follow on from the UAE’s National Day celebrations, the initiative has been launched in line with the UAE government’s ongoing commitment to Egypt, with a US$20 billion investment partnership recently announced between the two countries.
Announcing the launch, Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer at Majid Al Futtaim – Holding said: “The alliance between the UAE and Egypt is deeply ingrained and has inspired our long-term commitment to the market and its people. UAE-Egypt Friendship Celebration will honour the close relationship between both countries at a time when there is much to be optimistic about. Not only are we launching this exciting new cultural exchange, we are also delighted to officially open City Centre Almaza,. These steps are incredibly significant as we continue to work side-by-side with our partners in Egypt, where we have a strong operational presence, bringing the best of the UAE and Majid Al Futtaim to the country since 1998.”
UAE-Egypt Friendship Celebration will include a series of curated activities over four days, from a signature fashion show on 4 December featuring Emirati and Egyptian designers to a showcase of Emirati literature, cuisine and an Emirati film screening open for all to enjoy.
H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism, added: “These partnerships enable us to come together to celebrate the longstanding relationship between Egypt and the UAE. With the growth of the Egyptian economy, encouragement of private sector partnerships such as Majid Al Futtaim helps to attract greater numbers of tourists through world class shopping and entertainment experiences. We will continue our commitment to maintaining robust partnerships across our regional stakeholder network, with strategic collaborations such as this to allow for ongoing knowledge sharing between nations, aligned with our overall tourism strategy for Egypt.”
She added “The core of this Friendship week, is about the people, focusing on culture, food and fashion. This is in line with our “PeopleToPeople” campaign, part of pillar number 3 “Promotion & Marketing” of the Egypt — Tourism Reform Program (E—TRP) launched by the Ministry of Tourism in November 2018. This campaign reawakens the power of human-to-human connection. It highlights that beyond destinations and landmarks, it’s the power of the people, that moves, astonishes and awakens the senses of visitors.”
In parallel to UAE-Egypt Friendship Celebration, the inauguration of City Centre Almaza will take place on 5 December. City Centre Almaza is the latest in a series of Majid Al Futtaim real estate projects in Cairo and builds on the company’s comprehensive investment plan.
To date, Majid Al Futtaim has invested in a range of mega projects across retail, shopping, and leisure and entertainment, including Ski Egypt which is the first indoor ski attraction in Africa. City Centre Almaza is a testament to Majid Al Futtaim’s promise of providing customers with signature experiences. Spanning over 100,000 square metres, the mall will offer more than 260 stores as well as East Cairo’s first ever VOX Cinemas.
Taking place for the first time in Egypt, UAE-Egypt Friendship Celebration is billed to be an annual initiative with plans to launch future events across other markets in which Majid Al Futtaim operates.