Reports | 4 11 2016
The Egyptian city of Damietta embraces many Syrians, who work in the profession of xylograph on home furniture, and they were able to prove their merit in the labor market.
From Sakba to Damietta
Syrians invested all their skills in Damietta, to polarize Syrians and Egyptians customers, and to prove their merit Promoting the Syrian Wood Industries.
Abu Hassan Rihan, a carpenter from the Syrian city Sakba which is famous for furniture industry. He came to Egypt after the year 2011 and chose the city of Damietta because of its industrial nature, so he can work in his profession.
He says with his Damascene accent: "Damietta’s culture is very close to ours, we used to visit this city since 2006, the people are very kind in here, that's why we came back to this city when the war began. We chose it because it is an industrial city like our city Sakba, and we have never been bothered by anyone here".
Choices and difficulties
The choice of Damietta was ideal for the Syrian furniture makers, especially that they already had business relationships with the people of the Egyptian city, that causes the greatest feelings of being home to them, but of course, with some difficulties of course.
"Khaled Najar" knew Damietta through the Internet and learn more about it, as a city known for making furniture, so he decided to come to the city because it is appropriate for him to make a business.
The Syrians certainly faced many difficulties in the beginning when they started their work in Damietta, many problems related to the high prices of raw materials prices, but Khalid believes that there is no difference between working in Egypt and Syria and that the difficulty lies in the rise of prices, competition, and the workers’ number.
Competition and singularity
Furniture industry varies from one place to another, and people of Damietta are known for being high-skilled at the level of the Egypt Republic, so how can Syrians be doing a high-quality and excellent industry under their bad circumstances, especially in a city with large Furniture industry such as Damietta?
Abu Hassan said: "Egyptian goods are featured for their quality", and he explained the Rozana about the different rates and degrees of materials used, tools and raw materials, but he finds that prices are not much different, and even the labor wages are the same wage in Syria.
Syrians are working to help one another and they bring customers to their profession. "We help each other .. and we have Egyptians customers." Abu Hassan said.
However, Syrian customers are more than the Egyptians’, and Syrians prefer the Syrian-made furniture in Egypt, and when they know that the piece is Syrian, they take it for granted that its good, and they say: "Just wrap it and carry it", because they trust the quality of the Syrian work, said Abu Hassan.
"Rihan" explains this blind trust saying that Syrians are working faithfully in order to be told: "God bless you."
One Chemistry and one blood
A lot of Egyptian workers are comfortable in working with the Syrians, in the experiences’ exchange as well as harmony and success at work.
Ayman Abdel-Aziz, an Egyptian Furniture carpenter, he feels comfortable in working with Syrians 8 months ago, where he found a lot of things to learn.
The workshop’s Egyptian Supervisor told us about the nature of working in the workshop, where the customer gives him an image of the piece, and then they work on sizes and designs. He told us the reason of this success, saying: "We understand each other, we have one chemistry and one blood."
Syrian Modern designs!
Egyptians customers admire Syrian distinctive carvings and furniture, that are characterized by high quality.
Egyptian customer said: "When we want to buy furniture, we always go to Damietta, because it is known for its good furnishings, women like the Syrian work full of inscriptions, while young men prefer modern designs, and the Syrians always have new forms."
The Syrian inscriptions in Damietta changed some of the furniture trade features and created opportunities. Syrians and the people of Damietta were able of creating a new market which is expanding more and more, even when the Syrians will return to their country, their inscriptions will be in every Egyptian house.
