An estimated 10,000 attendees gathered at the third annual Cairo Maker Faire held on April 8 at Smart Village, Egypt's leading technology and business park. The event was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and hosted by FabLab Egypt. It aimed to celebrate innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship by showcasing products made from unused or discarded materials.
The Maker Faire welcomed talented individuals from Egypt and neighboring countries to display their creations and share their stories. Described as "The Greatest Show and Tell on Earth – a showcase of invention and resourcefulness," the event featured talks by American experts alongside international leaders of the Maker movement.
Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs at U.S. Embassy Cairo Adnan Siddiqi commented on the event's significance: “Over the past three years, we have seen young people from all parts of Egypt gather at the Cairo Maker Faire to test and showcase their technological and entrepreneurial ideas.” He added that while America initiated the global Maker Movement, Egypt is now playing a role in its expansion throughout the Middle East.
Highlights included presentations by David Neevel, known for "The Twitter Toaster and other Machines," who demonstrated how simple creativity can address everyday challenges. Sherry Lassiter, director of the Fab Foundation, discussed how the Maker movement originated in the U.S. before spreading rapidly to Egypt and globally.