The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Featured image via Le Marché

So you’re almost done with the contractors, and quality time with the workers is almost over. Quite a relief, right? Well, sadly the hassle isn’t over, but the next steps are much less demanding. You see, once you figure out the pieces of furniture you need, all you have to do is look around a few shops and pick the items that best fit your space. But that’s not as easy as it sounds.

We’ve recently told you all about Injie Tarek, the furniture scout who can help you find the best pieces of furniture for your space, and even recommend the shops to get them from. Additionally, we told you guys about Designy Egypt, a brand by Amr Helmy that offers affordable quality furniture. Today we’re looking to tell you about the hottest furniture shows in Cairo, where you can get significant discounts on your home furnishings. But first, let us help you with what you need to do before hitting those exhibitions.

Ideally, you would have a comprehensive idea on the exact pieces you need, their measurements, and at least a sense of the colour you want. Using this information, you can then start looking around the shows for the pieces of furniture that most catch your eye and ask around for the best price. Make sure you have some cash on you as the majority of shops require a deposit; by paying that, you’ll get access to their discounts for a while after the show is over. Some stores even give you the option of heading straight to their showroom to get the discount during the exhibition running time.

If you’re looking to save some time, you can search online or go for a quick visit to your favourite furniture shops and showrooms, and have a hit-list when you head to the exhibition. Alternatively, you can go in with a vague idea of which pieces of furniture you want, and use this exhibition as a way to learn more about the shops that best suit your taste. Fair warning though, this process could take a couple of hours or more, and is bound to make your feet sore.

Now that you’ve set your goal and equipped yourself with the needed information, what are the best exhibitions that are actually worth your time and money?

Furnex and The Home

This grand exhibition is set to kick off this Thursday, 21 February, at Egypt International Exhibition Center, and runs until 24 February. Furnex & The Home is one of the biggest furniture shows in town and is bound to give you an excellent idea of the best furniture shops. Such shows realise that you’re most likely heading with your partner, so the ticket is 100 EGP for two people, but it’s valid for just one day. But you usually wouldn’t need more to be honest.

Indoors Exhibition

If you’re busy this weekend, or don’t want to make the drive all the way to New Cairo, you can hit the Indoors Exhibition from, 4 to 7 April, at the Cairo International Conference Center in Nasr City. While some see it as a smaller show, it still has tons of options with good discounts.

Le Marché

The biggest name and the biggest exhibition of them all. Le Marché is a biannual furniture exhibition which usually takes place in April and October of every year. It normally runs from Thursday to Sunday, and tickets give you entry to all the days of the exhibition. You can purchase a ticket for 180 EGP includes a CD of the exhibiting shops and access for two people, or buy a 300 EGP ticket which gets you a catalogue of the shops and access for three.