Feature: Egyptian gov’t opens fairs nationwide for affordable school supplies ahead of new school year

CAIRO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) — At a bustling fair selling low-priced school supplies in the Egyptian capital Cairo, parents were busy selecting goods for their children as the new school year begins later this month.
Dubbed “Welcome Schools,” the fairs, organized by the Egyptian government across the country, will last until the end of September or until the end of the year in some governorates. They aim to help parents buy their children’s needs at more affordable prices, according to media reports.
At the main fair in Cairo, which covers about 6,000 square meters, around 200 vendors showcased their school-related goods, including clothing, school uniforms, school supplies, leather products, and school bags, in addition to a section for food products.
During the inauguration ceremony of the fair in Cairo last week, Egyptian Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk said that the event represents a true partnership between the government and the private sector for the benefit of citizens.
The minister, whose ministry organizes the fairs in cooperation with other ministries, affirmed that the “state is keen to provide various forms of support to alleviate the burden on Egyptian families.”
A large number of consumers were attending the fairs for their competitive prices.
“The prices of school uniforms and clothes in general are very low compared to those in shops… at least 30 percent cheaper,” Nermin Wassif, a mother of one girl, told Xinhua while shopping at the fair.
The middle-aged woman said she did not expect the prices to be within reach of most Egyptian families.
“I already bought a pair of shoes and a jacket for my daughter at a very reasonable price. I will now go buy the stationery,” she said, flashing a smile. “I will tell all my friends and relatives about this fair.”
Taha Mohammed, a father of three schoolchildren from Cairo, was surprised by the good prices and high quality of the supplies at the vast fair.
“I came to buy school uniforms and bags, but I ended up buying other items, such as clothes for my kids and me, because of the very affordable prices,” Mohammed, a tour guide in his 40s, told Xinhua.
As for the vendors, they said they are always keen to support Egyptian families before the start of the new school year by offering discounts that sometimes reach more than 30 percent.
“We always participate in the exhibition. This year, we are offering discounts of up to 10 percent on school supplies and books,” Moataz Mohammed, a bookshop owner, told Xinhua.
Mohammed revealed that he sells at prices lower than those at his bookstore, hoping to relieve citizens’ burdens amid skyrocketing prices.
Over the past two years, the foreign currency shortage in Egypt has led to the devaluation of the local currency and the rise of a parallel currency exchange market, plunging Egypt into one of its worst economic crises.
The crisis was further exacerbated by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that erupted last year, which has impacted Egypt’s tourism sector and halved its revenues from the Suez Canal. ■