Ismailia reaches out
Sherine Nasr visits the city of Ismailia, and finds enormous potential for development
Of all the cities by the Suez Canal, Ismailia is perhaps the greenest, cleanest and most developed. Known for its excellent fruit and vegetables, Ismailia's agricultural wealth and highly advanced food processing industry represent only one aspect of the city's many other developmental prospects. Its central location on the Suez Canal makes it a potential trade hub, and it has become all the more accessible thanks to a good network of roads and railways. Additionally, the location of the Suez Canal University in Ismailia has enriched the city's culture, making it a centre for the sciences and providing businesses with economic, industrial and agricultural advice.
Small wonder then that Ismailia is hosting four major national projects, including the IT Valley, Sinai Development Project and the East of Port Said Project, all of which are meant to change not only the face of the city but of the whole country.
"Together with Ismailia's developing industrial zones and the newly established free zone, the incentives for national as well as international investment are invaluable," said Fouad Saadin, the governor.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce has selected Ismailia in an initiative for more economic and industrial cooperation between Egyptian and German cities.
"Marketing Ismailia in Germany will not be a difficult task," said Peter Goepfrich, chief executive officer of the chamber. He added that the city has already gained a good reputation among Germans because of its proximity to the Suez Canal.
"It is no secret that decentralisation is one of Germany's formulas for economic success. The same pattern should be followed in Egypt, where certain cities should be developed as independent industrial entities. Ismailia can be a good example," said Goepfrich.
According to Sayed El-Qasim, head of the Commercial Representation Office, Egyptian-German bilateral ties have not been negatively affected by the economic recession that has characterised the beginning of the millennium. "In fact, trade between Egypt and the European Union is expected to increase over the coming years," he said.
It is worth noting that in 2002, Egypt's exports to Germany, mainly textiles, fruit and vegetables, were estimated at 296 million euros, while Egypt's imports from Germany -- mainly industrial equipment for German projects in Egypt -- reached 1.4 billion euros.
The Egyptian-German Technical Cooperation Committee -- whose members include Ismailia's businessmen, professors from the Suez Canal University, and consultants, all of whom are operating under the umbrella of the city's governor -- has recently been established to determine the development projects that need to be adopted during the coming period.
According to Farouk Abdel-Qadir, president of the Suez Canal University, the committee is focussed on three major projects, namely, the development of fishery resources for exports, the development of agricultural wealth and food processing industries, and the planning of the eastern part of the city that overlooks the Suez Canal as a tourist site and investment centre.
Under the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative, another project focussed on vocational training has started to bear fruit. "With the help of German expertise and the contribution of Egyptian businessmen, students of vocational education are now able to pursue their practical training in different factories," said Project Manager Ali Ahmed Said. "The aim is to produce technicians that are more suited to the demands of the labour market," he added.
