The exhibition, held at the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency's (MSMEDA) hall on the fairgrounds, marks the start of a Ministry of Supply initiative, organized with Egypt's chambers of commerce, to hold similar "Ahlan Madares 2026" exhibitions in governorates nationwide.
Cairo's main exhibition includes 168 pavilions: 42 for stationery, six large pavilions for food products, 21 for shoes, 16 for bags, 33 for clothes, seven for computers, and 22 for a range of other products and services tied to back-to-school needs.
PM Madbouly said the drive follows "continuous" directives from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to expand such fairs, which offer citizens goods, products, and school supplies "of suitable quality at reduced prices."
Supply and Internal Trade Minister Sherif Farouk received the prime minister on his arrival.
Also attending were Agriculture and Land Reclamation Minister Alaa Farouk, Education and Technical Education Minister Mohamed Abdel-Latif, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Consumer Protection Agency head Ibrahim El-Segeny, MSMEDA CEO Mostafa Ismail, Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC) Chairman Ahmed El-Wakil, International Chamber of Commerce Egypt Secretary-General Alaa Ezz, and Cairo Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ayman El-Ashry.
Madbouly said the government was intensifying such exhibitions to ease costs on families before the new academic year begins. He described "Ahlan Madares" as "a genuine partnership between the government, the private sector, and the chambers of commerce for the benefit of the citizen," adding that the state was keen to support Egyptian households as the school year approaches.
Farouk said the main exhibition follows presidential directives to expand initiatives and specialized exhibitions that "ease burdens on citizens," adding that the ministry is working to increase and diversify outlets offering goods directly to the public.
The main exhibition runs from 2 to 15 September, daily from 11 am to 10 pm, Farouk said. It features around 168 exhibitors across 3,500 square metres, offering clothes, shoes, school bags, and leather goods, alongside a large pavilion for the Holding Company for Food Industries and its subsidiaries.
Eight pavilions are dedicated to products made by people with disabilities, and computer and technology firms are also taking part.
Farouk added that "Ahlan Madares" includes main exhibitions in governorate capitals, smaller exhibitions in major cities, and street stalls in city centres, coordinated between chambers of commerce and governors. The exhibitions run for two weeks, coinciding with the summer clearance sale, known as Aokazyon, which authorities have extended through the end of September.
After cutting the ribbon, Madbouly toured the exhibition's pavilions, discussing product quality, pricing, discount rates, and the share of locally made goods with exhibitors. He stressed the importance of "deepening local manufacturing" and increasing reliance on Egyptian-made products.
Farouk told the prime minister that discounts of up to 40 percent are available on some goods, including stationery, school supplies, bags, shoes for all ages, clothes, and computers.
Bank branches at the fair are offering instalment services, alongside school food items, juices, extracurricular books, and prescription glasses, with mobile clinics on site to test schoolchildren's eyesight.
Madbouly asked exhibitors about the quality of the glasses on sale; they told him the products were Egyptian-made, of high quality, and exported abroad.
PM Madbouly also inspected strategic goods and food products offered at reduced prices, including sugar, rice, and oil, alongside shoes, bags, clothes, school uniforms, stationery, and computers, praising the range on offer as part of government efforts to guard against unjustified price increases.
Farouk told him that basic commodities, including sugar, rice, oil, and pasta, would be sold at reduced prices alongside products from subsidiaries of the Holding Company for Food Industries, as part of a broader plan to stabilize basic goods prices and help citizens find what they need "in one place."
Dedicated Consumer Protection Agency and quality-control offices are operating inside the exhibitions to monitor the goods on sale, officials said.
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