Latest news with #El-Wakil
Daily News Egypt
a day ago
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Reforms make Egypt ‘land of opportunity,' business leader tells Serbia
The head of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce has urged Serbian businesses to use Egypt as a joint manufacturing and logistics centre for exporting to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, citing recent economic reforms and extensive free trade agreements. Speaking at the Egyptian-Serbian Business Forum on Tuesday, Ahmed El-Wakil said that recent reforms, coordinated in 'a successful partnership between the government and the private sector,' have transformed Egypt. 'Thanks to these reforms, Egypt has once again become a land of promising opportunities,' he said. El-Wakil called on Serbian companies to leverage Egypt's domestic market of over 100 million consumers, which he said expands to more than 3 billion through tariff-free trade agreements with the Arab world, Africa, the European Union, EFTA, Mercosur, Turkey, and the United States. 'We must use Egypt as a centre for joint manufacturing and a logistics centre in order to export to all these markets, without customs and with low shipping costs,' he said. He identified several key sectors for cooperation where Serbia has advanced technology, including phosphate purification, the manufacturing of phosphoric acid and fertilisers, and the metal industries, particularly iron and steel. He added that negotiations on some of these areas began during a previous presidential visit to Serbia. Other potential areas for partnership include component manufacturing for the automotive and home appliance sectors, software development and localisation, river transport linked to multimodal logistics, and tourism. To facilitate this, El-Wakil announced that the Egyptian and Serbian chambers of commerce would appoint contact points to develop bilateral trade and investment and connect their members. The business leader also addressed Serbia's hosting of the Belgrade Expo in 2027. 'We have supported Egypt in various Expo exhibitions, from Milan to Dubai, and we affirm that we will spare no effort in ensuring full support for the Belgrade Expo in 2027,' he said, highlighting the experience of Egyptian construction and infrastructure firms that have executed major projects globally. 'The time for talk is over, and the time has come to move forward with concrete measures,' El-Wakil concluded. The forum was held in Egypt's New Administrative Capital and was chaired by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Serbian Prime Minister Guro Macut. In his opening remarks, El-Wakil noted that it was the third such high-level business meeting in two years, extending greetings on behalf of the Federation's more than 6 million members.
CairoScene
03-03-2025
- General
- CairoScene
Jeddah's King Saud Mosque by Egyptian Architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil
Jeddah's King Saud Mosque by Egyptian Architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil The King Saud Mosque - the largest in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - was conceived in 1987 by eminent Egyptian architect Abdel Wahed El-Wakil, a foremost authority in Islamic architecture. Presented as a pristine, sacred pearl, it is one of a dozen mosques El-Wakil designed across the kingdom in the 1980s, exemplifying his masterful synthesis of tradition and innovation. El-Wakil's mosques exhibit a profound continuity in their architectural language, unified by their exterior materials, load-bearing walls, vaults, and domes. They stand as iterative expressions. Revivalist structures. Each a reflection of his predecessor, the honoured architect Hassan Fathy, whose vernacular vision they echo with an influence that permeates their form and spirit. The King Saud Mosque stands apart with its intricate layout and contextual integration. While its western side aligns with the qibla, the remaining three sides conform to the surrounding street grid, resulting in a subtle tilt in orientation when viewed from above. To reconcile the misalignment between the street grid and the qibla orientation, strategically positioned triangular volumes are introduced, elegantly accommodating ablution facilities, instructional spaces, storage areas, administrative offices and residential quarters. Stepping through the main entrance, visitors are guided through a sequence of deliberate axial shifts, subtly realigning their orientation as they move deeper into the space. This deliberate procession unfolds into a vast central courtyard, the heart of the complex, where openness and symmetry set the stage for the grandeur beyond. Encircling this courtyard is the monumental four-iwan prayer hall, spanning an impressive 5,000 square metres and meticulously aligned along an east-west axis. Its architectural rhythm is defined by soaring barrel-vaulted iwans, leading to a commanding central dome with a 20-metre span. Flanking this focal point, two symmetrically placed 12-metre domes provide balance, while a constellation of smaller 6-metre domes elegantly completes the vaulted expanse of the prayer hall. From above, the mosque emerges as a vision of quiet grandeur, its pale sandy façade glowing under the sun. A procession of smaller domes marches in perfect cadence along the rooftop, their rhythmic presence evoking the measured chants of a sacred hymn. The larger domes, anchored by sturdy pendentive walls reminiscent of the Mamluk era, rise with effortless grace, their clerestory windows filtering light into the depths of the interior, casting a celestial glow. The cascading geometry of the structure allows it to dissolve seamlessly into the city's skyline, its volumes layered in harmonious succession. Each form flows effortlessly into the next, softened by beveled edges that lend a sense of fluidity. At its peak, crenelated parapets encircle the highest volumes, their sculpted silhouettes imparting both majesty and restraint - an architecture that speaks not through excess, but through the poetry of proportion and balance. Photography Credit: Christopher Wilton-Steer
