Egypt's handicraft fair Turathna opens with more than 1,000 craft projects
Seventy per cent of the products at the eighth edition are made by women and girls. The prime minister opened it with a new strategy to make Egypt a hub for handicraft exports.
PANM — More than 1,000 craft projects from across Egypt are on show at Turathna 2026, the country's annual exhibition of handicrafts and heritage products, which runs from 17 to 24 October, Daily News Egypt reports.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly opened the eighth edition on behalf of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. It is organised by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) under the slogan "The Origin of the Story".
Who is exhibiting
- 70% of the products on show are made and managed by women and girls.
- 30% of exhibitors are taking part for the first time; 7% are people with disabilities; 10% come from Egypt's border governorates.
- Exhibitors cover around 32 craft and heritage sectors and include individuals, 60 civil society associations, ministries and visiting countries.
Madbouly highlighted Egypt's new Handicrafts Strategy, which aims to make the country a leading centre for producing and exporting crafts, built around artisan clusters in the governorates. The sector involves millions of artisans and provides hundreds of thousands of jobs, he said. At the National Bank of Egypt's stand, officials said more than 180,000 people have benefited from its financing for craft and heritage projects.
The exhibition also supports efforts to bring informal businesses into the formal economy, and a "Turathna Development Centre" helps exhibitors meet international standards and find markets.
Source: Daily News Egypt, 17 October 2026.
