The Quarries and Granite Division of the Federation of Egyptian Industries revealed that the marble industry in Egypt is facing a major crisis as a result of declining domestic demand and the suspension of export operations due to the outbreak of coronavirus, which may lead to the redundancy of 100,000 workers in the sector. Domestic demand for marble declined after a number of major projects were suspended until 2021. Exports, which represented about 50 per cent of sales, have declined which has led to a decrease in the production capacity of factories by about 50 per cent. The federation emphasised that the companies are still paying workers’ salaries, but demanded that the government quickly intervene to ease the burdens on the company owners so that they can continue to pay salaries, by exempting or reducing electricity bills and taxes.

Official reports issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry revealed that marble and granite exports fell by 23 per cent during January and February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. The value of marble and granite exports in 2019 amounted to $229 million, compared to $228 million in 2018, an increase of 0.42 per cent.