The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on Saturday launched the official groundbreaking ceremony for the African Trade Centre (AATC) and Afreximbank headquarters in Cairo.

 

The ceremony took place at the Afreximbank African Trade Centre site in Egypt’s New Capital and was attended by senior government officials, diplomats, financial leaders, and representatives of regional and international institutions.

 

The event agenda included welcoming remarks, institutional presentations outlining the mandate of the African Trade Centres, and official addresses by Afreximbank executives, African diplomatic representatives, Egypt’s central banking leadership, and the Prime Minister of Egypt, followed by the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony.

 

The African Trade Centre in Cairo is designed as a multifunctional business complex that will host Afreximbank’s new headquarters and operate as a one-stop hub for trade, investment, and business services across Africa.

 

The complex will include premium office spaces, conference and exhibition facilities, retail and dining areas, and a four-star apartment hotel with 117 rooms. The development is planned as a smart, environmentally sustainable building targeting LEED Gold certification.

 

The Cairo centre forms part of Afreximbank’s broader African Trade Centres (AATCs) initiative, which aims to establish integrated trade hubs in key commercial capitals across Africa and the Caribbean. The centres are intended to provide access to trade finance, market intelligence, advisory services, digital trade platforms, and networking opportunities for businesses and investors.

 

According to Afreximbank’s programme materials, the AATC model is structured around four core pillars: serving as an iconic landmark in host cities, operating as a one-stop trade services hub, supporting partnerships among public and private stakeholders, and promoting trade-led economic diversification.

 

The Cairo project joins a growing network of African Trade Centres, with Abuja already operational and additional centres under construction or development in Harare, Kampala, and Barbados. Further centres are planned in Yaoundé, Abidjan, Tunis, and Kigali.

 

The establishment of the AATC and Afreximbank headquarters in Cairo underscores Egypt’s role as a regional hub for trade, finance, and investment, and aligns with Afreximbank’s mission to promote value addition, export manufacturing, and deeper economic integration across the African continent and the Caribbean.