SUN DEC 14 2025-theGBJournal| African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) marked a historic milestone on Saturday with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in Egypt’s New Capital, which will also be the home of the Bank’s new global headquarters.
The Bank appointed Hassan Allam Construction, one of Egypt’s leading engineering and construction companies, as the main contractor under a US$249.5 million contract to build its new state-of-the-art African Trade Centre (AATC) in Egypt’s new capital.
Architectural design and project supervision are being led by renowned engineering firm EHAF Consulting Engineers.
Afreximbank said the project will generate significant employment throughout the construction phase and in ongoing operations.
”It will stimulate opportunities for local contractors, suppliers, SMEs, and a wide range of service providers.”
Scheduled for completion in early 2029, the AATC groundbreaking in Cairo’s, follows the AATC- Barbados groundbreaking in March 2025 and the official opening of the AATC in Abuja in April 2025.
Construction is already underway for similar projects in Harare and Kampala.
The Afreximbank African Trade Centre network will include hubs in Abuja (Nigeria), Harare (Zimbabwe), Kampala (Uganda), Cairo (Egypt), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Bridgetown (Barbados), Kigali (Rwanda) and Tunis (Tunisia).
”Together, these Centres will connect buyers, sellers, suppliers, service providers, enterprises, governments, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, development organisations, and the wider African and global trade and investment community,” the Bank said.
Egypt’s Prime Minister, Dr Mostafa Madbouly, said at the ground breaking ceremony that the establishment of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in Egypt’s New Capital reflects Egypt’s important role in driving continental economic integration and trade facilitation.
”As the host country of Afreximbank’s global headquarter, Egypt is proud to deepen this collaboration through a landmark facility that will serve as a hub for trade intelligence, capacity building, innovation, and continental connectivity.”
The new trade centre is situated in the Diplomatic District of Egypt’s New Capital, approximately 45 kilometres east of Cairo, a modern, strategically planned environment that brings together government ministries, foreign embassies, and international organisations.
It will be the first facility of its kind in the North Africa region.
Afreximbank’s President and Chairman of its Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi said Afreximbank African Trade Centre in the New Capital is meant not simply to accommodate the expansion of the Bank, but provide a concrete solution designed to address the lack of trade and investment information among African businesses; a challenge that has confounded the growth of intra-African trade and investment for nearly seven decades.
Describing the relationship between Afreximbank and the Government of Egypt as ‘truly symbiotic’, Dr Elombi said the Bank has disbursed US$41 billion into the Egyptian economy to date, supporting increased investment in strategic sectors including energy, telecommunications, construction and manufacturing, while strengthening Egypt-Africa trade and investment.
“We have helped Egyptian entities capitalise on growing investment opportunities across Africa, helping them secure and execute projects in several countries.”
Afreximbank said the Trade Centre will position Egypt as a major trade hub, housing technology and SME incubation centres as well as a digital African trade gateway offering trade information, customer due diligence, payments, and other digital services.
The Bank said also, that the AATC in Cairo is part of its broader vision to develop a network of African Trade Centres in strategic commercial hubs across Africa and the Caribbean.
”These centres will provide trade information, market intelligence, financing, networking and collaboration opportunities, and essential support facilities to accelerate trade, strengthen economic cooperation, and drive intra-African growth.”
Once completed, the AATC in Cairo will offer 57,298 square metres of office space to accommodate Afreximbank’s rapidly expanding workforce. Additional office space will be made available for African and international agencies involved in trade, finance, and investment, as well as for some foreign African diplomatic missions.
The complex will host a full suite of modern trade-supporting facilities, including a trade information centre, a world-class library and knowledge hub, an innovation and SME incubation centre to support entrepreneurship, a business centre, a 110-room aparthotel, a 750-seater modern conference centre, an exhibition centre, retail and dinning outlets, shops, extensive back-of-house and support facilities and a 1,200-bay parking structure.
The architectural design integrates three interconnected blocks arranged around a landscaped internal street, creating the social and spatial heart of the complex. Green courtyards, shaded walkways, and collaborative spaces will encourage seamless interaction between work, learning, and leisure reflecting Afreximbank’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and staff wellbeing.
Designed to achieve Gold-level LEED certification or higher, the complex will feature smart energy-efficient systems, solar power integration, water-saving technologies, and climate-responsive design with comfortable shaded outdoor spaces.
This makes the new Afreximbank headquarters one of Africa’s most advanced and environmentally conscious institutional developments.
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