Egypt is one of the countries with the richest
geological resources: plentiful reserves of marble, granite, travertine
and other decorative stones are available in a huge range of colours
and compositions, as well as optimal quality in terms of physical
functions and aesthetic characteristics.
The competitive advantage of the Egyptian
stone industry is based on the availability of raw materials and
relatively low cost production operations, as well as the country's
excellent geographical location.
With more than 700 active quarries in Egypt,
production capacity exceeded 5 million rough blocks of marble and
granite in 2008, ranking the country among the top 10 world producers.
The main industrial activities in the sector
are located in the Shaq Al-Teban district (near Cairo), by now
considered to be one of the 4 main districts in the world.
Total investment in the stone industry in Egypt is about 2,000 million dollars.
As regards international trade, statistics
indicate progressive growth in exports over the last three years up to
2.25 million tonnes worth 380 million dollars. The main markets for
Egyptian marble are China and South East Asia with 50% of total export
value. Figures for 2008 also indicate that exports to Europe represent
25% of total, while less than 15% is shipped to Arab and African
countries and 10% to the United States and the rest of the world. In
any case, preliminary data for 2009 indicate a better performance for
exports of Egyptian stones to markets in the US and Arab countries.
