With ITIDA in attendance, Informa plc, a leading international events, digital services and academic research, proudly announces the opening of its new regional hub office at CFC Business Park in Cairo. This milestone celebrates Informa’s 10th anniversary in Egypt and reflects the company’s ambitions to further expand its presence and team in Cairo: a significant regional hub for its growing India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) business.
The opening ceremony included a ribbon-cutting with Eng. Ahmed ElZaher, CEO of Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), and Lord Stephen Carter, Group Chief Executive of Informa PLC. The event welcomed top governmental representatives, as well as VIP guests, esteemed partners, and business leaders from various sectors.
Eng. Ahmed El-Zaher, CEO of Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), praised the company’s decision to expand its operations in Egypt through a regional headquarters in Cairo. “This decision underscores Egypt’s appeal as a premier and distinguished hub for exporting shared services and offshoring while also bolstering the agency’s plans to encourage local companies and attract more global enterprises to establish or expand their centers in Egypt,” he said.
Additionally, El-Zaher clarified that the agency is working to attract major global companies and leaders from various sectors to establish offshoring centers in Egypt, known for its abundance of digital talent and multilingual skills that international companies can leverage for their global operations. This initiative aligns with Digital Egypt’s strategy for the Offshoring Industry, highlighting that this industry is not limited to IT and telecommunications companies.
He emphasized ITIDA’s support for Informa’s efforts to grow its offshoring and shared services centers from Egypt, including call centers, technical support, IT services, and knowledge services such as graphic design, digital marketing, and academic publishing, to serve its clients across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive of Informa PLC, stated, “Africa, and the wider IMEA region, is home to many of the world’s fastest-growing economies, and Egypt is at the very heart of it. We have steadily expanded our presence in Cairo over the last decade: supporting the Government’s focus on economic growth, helping Egyptian businesses to trade through major exhibitions, and partnering with the Egyptian Knowledge Bank to serve local researchers. We are looking forward to the next decade of growth in Egypt and the region, and to further expanding and investing in our talented team of professionals in Cairo.
Today, Informa delivers nine major annual exhibitions through its Informa Markets business, which include Cityscape Egypt in real estate, Pharmaconex in pharmaceuticals, ProPak MENA in food manufacturing, and Sahara in agriculture. The Group serves Egyptian researchers and universities through its Taylor & Francis business, and has specialist central finance and customer services teams that serve its businesses across Europe and IMEA.
Hany Khafagy, General Manager of Informa Markets in Egypt, noted: “We are proud of our contributions to Egypt’s economic and sectoral development over the past decade. In 2023, our exhibitions attracted over 120,000 attendees from more than 40 countries and generated EGP 3.8 billion for Egypt’s economy. With our expanded office in Cairo, we aim to double our events in Africa in the next three years, while further expanding our central shared finance and customer service functions.”
This new headquarters reflects Informa’s commitment to innovation and digitalization, aligning with Egypt’s strategy for a greener, resource-efficient economy. Located in Cairo Festival City, the new office spans 1,500 sqm—an increase of 150% from the previous space—and can accommodate up to 180 colleagues. The office was designed by Savills and executed by SCAS.
