Mohamed Aref, Chairperson of the Egyptian Association of Marble and Granite Industry and Head of the Quarry and Marble Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, stated that the government has taken significant steps to develop the marble industry, including entering into partnerships with foreign companies to establish marble factories instead of exporting it as raw material. This move will help increase the added value of marble when exported. Aref pointed out that Egypt is rich in various quarries, including marble and granite. He added that the marble and granite industry starts with extracting blocks from quarries, noting that Egypt has 55 types of marble and granite. He mentioned that the quarries are located in the Red Sea mountain range, as well as in Aswan, Qena, Sohag, Suez, and the Galala Mountain area, along with the oases. Aref explained that after extracting the marble and granite blocks from the quarries, they were sent to Egypt's main industrial area, Shak El Thoban. He noted that the political leadership has been working in recent times to establish large marble and granite factories in various governorates of Egypt, which is highly beneficial, as having factories in each governorate is crucial. The development in this sector has positively impacted Egypt's marble and granite exports, which increased by 16% during the first five months of 2024, reaching $198m compared to $170m during the same period in 2023. Additionally, the quantities exported rose by 10%, totalling 719,659 tonnes compared to 654,165 tonnes. Egypt exported marble and granite to 115 countries during this period, with five countries, including Libya and Saudi Arabia, accounting for 66.3% of Egypt's total exports, valued at $131.305m. Lebanon ranked third, followed by Palestine and Kuwait.
