JEDDAH, 30 May 2007 — Up to 75,000 Egyptians are expected to perform the next Haj, according to Egyptian Consul General Afifi Abdel-Wahab, who was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day Egyptian food festival, which he opened at the Trident Hotel on Monday night.
“We expect a slight increase in the number of Haj pilgrims this year compared to last year’s (figure of) a little over 70,000,” said Abdel-Wahab. There has also been a marked increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims from Egypt, especially in the past few years.
The Egyptian expatriate population has been growing, he said, adding that out of an estimated one million Egyptians residing and working in the Kingdom, 750,000 are in the Western and Central provinces.
Two-way trade between the Kingdom and Egypt has been expanding, said Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Gawad, commercial minister plenipotentiary at the consulate. “Our exports to the Kingdom total $800 million and imports from the Kingdom amount to $2 billion,” he said.
Saudi investors are prominent across Egypt. “They have invested in almost all fields of businesses including manufacturing, agriculture, services, banks and construction,” Gawad said.
The Egyptian community was present in strength at the festival, which was sponsored by Egypt Air. The hotel is following up the event with a three-day Moroccan food festival with Royal Air Maroc as its sponsor from June 10; a two-day Cyprus food festival with Cyprus Airways as its sponsor from June 25; a two-day Philippine food festival from July 9; and a two-day seafood festival from Aug. 13, said Chander Nain, general manager of Trident Hotel.
