Egyptian construction firm Hassan Allam Construction has been awarded a $250 million contract to build the African Export–Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) African Trade Centre (AATC) in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, a flagship project that will also serve as the bank’s new global headquarters.
The landmark development is scheduled for completion within 36 months, with delivery expected in early 2029. Designed as a continental hub for trade facilitation, policy dialogue, and cross-border cooperation, the AATC aims to address one of Africa’s persistent challenges: limited access to market intelligence and trade information across the continent.
Afreximbank President and Chairman George Elombi said the centre will help close critical knowledge gaps that constrain intra-African trade and investment, while significantly expanding the bank’s operational and convening capacity.
The project will be overseen architecturally by UAE-based EHAF Consulting Engineers, while Hassan Allam Construction will be responsible for all construction works, including electrical and mechanical systems, landscaping, and the supply and installation of furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
Spanning a site area of 48,888 square metres with a gross built-up area of 156,147 square metres, the AATC will allocate 57,298 square metres to Afreximbank offices. The complex will include trade and business facilities, a knowledge and innovation hub, an SME incubation centre, a corporate museum, a 110-room apartment hotel, a 750-seat conference centre, exhibition halls, retail and dining outlets, support facilities, and a 1,200-space parking structure.
The centre is designed as a sustainable green development, incorporating energy-efficient systems, solar power integration, water-saving technologies, and climate-responsive architecture in line with international sustainability standards.
The project is expected to generate around 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction and approximately 1,000 permanent jobs once operational. Hassan Allam, CEO of Hassan Allam Holding, said the collaboration reflects a shared belief “in the power of infrastructure to unlock Africa’s economic potential.”
Afreximbank has invested approximately $41 billion in Egypt across sectors including energy, telecommunications, construction, and manufacturing. The new trade centre aligns with Egypt’s national economic strategy, which prioritizes productive sectors and aims to raise foreign direct investment’s contribution to GDP to 4.4% over the next five years.
The AATC will also host the African Research and Innovation Hub (ARIH), which Afreximbank estimates could unlock up to $70 billion annually in economic gains by strengthening innovation-driven growth, boosting intra-African trade, and accelerating technological sovereignty across the continent. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to expanding exports to African markets in close cooperation with Afreximbank, including through financing major development projects across multiple sectors.
