Dr. Wendy Freeman, the British Consul General in Alexandria, inaugurated the first Training Egypt exhibition of handmade products in Alexandria on Friday. The handicraft fair, held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, is aimed at boosting the production and sale of high-quality Egyptian handicrafts, while supporting the growth of small enterprises. Around 80 Egyptian entrepreneurs took part, displaying handmade carpets, food products, and a wide range of handicrafts made of leather, wood, cotton, pottery, glass and ceramic. The Training Egypt Initiative plans to hold the exhibition annually under the aegis of the Governor of Alexandria, the Handicraft Industry Chamber, and the Bank of Alexandria. Freeman told Ahram Online that the products she saw displayed at the fair compete in quality with the best products from many European countries, both in terms of their manufacture and the use of environmental materials. She said that, as a resident of Egypt, she buys Egyptian-made products. Freeman started as British Consul General in November 2016, helping the Consulate to promote trade and investment between the UK and Egypt and working to empower educational institutes, including the British Council. The opening of the exhibition was attended by MP Samir El-Batikhi, on behalf of Alexandria Governor Mohamed Sultan, and Omniah El-Bahrawy, executive supervisor of the exhibition, together with a number of political and executive officials from Alexandria. A young entrepreneur with Omniah El-Bahrawy and British Consul General in Alexandria Wendy Freeman (Photo: Ayman Barayez)
