Travel Basics

Language: The official language is Arabic. English is widely spoken in the field of business and tourism.

Time: Local time is GMT +2 and GMT +3 from last Friday in April to last Friday in September.

Money: Currency is the Egyptian Pound. The exchange rate revolves around 7.2 EGP for 1 Euro (January 2007).
You can find the current exchange rate here: www.gocurrency.com
ATMs, banks and currency exchanges are at your convenience, and credit and Maestro cards are widely accepted.

Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are standard.

Communications: The international access code for Egypt is +20. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0027 for South Africa). The city code for Cairo is (0)2. The local mobile phone operators use GSM 900 networks and have roaming agreements with all major operators. Wireless LAN and internet cafes are essentially available wherever you go in Cairo.

Climate: Cairo in May is sunny and hot during the day and pleasant in the evenings (Max 32°C, Min 18°C). Egypt is well prepared to deal with the heat, all featured hotels and conference rooms are air conditioned. It is advisable to bring something warm to wear for indoors. Look at the weather forecast at www.climateandweather.com

Visa: Visitors from the EU can easily obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport. The fee is 15,00 € and the Visa is valid for one month.