ALL AFRICA
Tunis — The Fifth Business Conventions of Batimaghreb.com opened, on Thursday in Tunis, on the theme “North African Countries, Let’s Forge Ahead Together.”
Organised by the Tunisie Place de marché company, in partnership with MEDI (Libya), Arabian Italian for Exhibition (Egypt), Antares Development (Algeria) and CEDEM (Morocco), this new two-day gathering will revolve on three main aspects, namely an exhibition space, B-to-B meetings and lectures.
Organisers of Batimaghreb.com say the event is hoped to attract about 5,000 visitors and players in the building and public works (BPW) sector, including 4,500 from Tunisia (prescribers, architects, engineers, real estate developers, material suppliers, etc.) and 500 from North Africa and elsewhere.
It also aims to stimulate exchanges among the North African countries in the BPW sector and encourage Tunisian and foreign businessmen to invest in this area of activity.
Mr. Ferid Ettounsi, managing director of the Industry and Innovation Promotion Agency (APII), called on the occasion to boost regional integration in this activity to face up competition on the world market.
The executive reminded that, in Tunisia, the building-material, ceramics and glass-making industries number more than 450 enterprises, including 28 of which are totally exporting and 64 joint-ventures between Tunisian and foreign enterprises.
“The sector employs about 40,000 workers and contributes by 1.4 % of the GDP,” said Mr. Ettounsi, adding that Libya, Algeria, Italy and France are Tunisia’s main customers in the building material sector.
Last Updated on Thursday, September 20, 2012 20:09
Tagged: Business, North Africa, Tunisia