Emirates today unveiled its 42nd dedicated lounge across its global network at Cairo International Airport (CAI). The lounge is now open to Emirates First Class and Business Class customers as well as Platinum and Gold members of Skywards, the airline’s loyalty programme.

Reflecting the airline’s ongoing commitment to Egypt, the Emirates Lounge in Cairo represents a US$ 3.6 million investment to provide premium customers with a seamless and enjoyable journey. Catering to three daily flights, the lounge offers customers even greater levels of comfort, hospitality and convenience as they start their Emirates experience in Cairo. Located at Departure Terminal 2, Level 2, above the secondary security check & Duty Free area, Emirates’ customers can look forward to relaxing, unwinding and enjoying award-winning service and cuisine.

The lounge was formally opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Eng. Ahmed Youssef, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board; Mohammed H Mattar, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President – Emirates Airport Services; Thani Al Ansari, Country Manager, Egypt, Emirates. The opening was also attended by Mr. Montaser Manaa, Civil Aviation Authority VP and Mr. Khaled Abdel Monem, Chairman of Central Air Transport Administration.

“Cairo is our first destination in North Africa with an Emirates Lounge – and it underscores our relentless efforts to enhance the travel experience that we offer to customers not online in the air, but on the ground. We are committed to the highest standards of quality in every aspect of our business and the new Emirates Lounge is a testament to that,” said Mohammed Mattar – Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services.

“We hope to contribute to the country’s tourism industry in a meaningful way and attract both international customers as well as discerning Egyptian travellers with our premium service. Egypt is a very important market for Emirates, and this dedicated lounge demonstrates our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible airport experience,” added Mr Mattar.

Ahmed Youssef, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, said: “We congratulate Emirates on the opening of their new lounge in Cairo, and see this as enhancing the travel experience for both leisure and business travellers. Emirates’ reputation of excellence and high service standards will definitely reflect on the type of tourist visiting the country from the UAE and the world. We are committed to supporting such initiatives that help Egypt achieve its vision of becoming a leading destination for tourism”

The interior design in the Emirates Lounge reflects a new contemporary and fresh design. The Lounge offers seating for up to 152 customers, covering an area of 880sq.m. The lounge will provides premium passengers with a relaxing ambiance, luxurious facilities and amenities, LED TVs, comfortable leather armchairs, a choice of formal and relaxed seating, bespoke artwork, and separate male and female prayer rooms. To complete the travel experience, a range of luxury spa products are also available in the lounge from award-winning Irish brand VOYA. This skincare line includes hair & body wash, conditioner, hand cream and hand wash.

The lounge features a dedicated dining area, an extensive menu of complimentary hot and cold gourmet buffet, including local and international dishes and an extensive beverage service. Customers can also enjoy shower facilities, a fully equipped business centre with state of the art touch screen workstations along with complimentary Wi-Fi service within the lounge.

In addition to Cairo, and the seven lounges at its hub Dubai International Airport, Emirates also has dedicated lounges at, Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Birmingham, Boston, Brisbane, Cape Town, Colombo, Delhi, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, Milan, Munich, Narita, New York – JFK, Paris – Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Rome, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Zurich, representing an investment of over US$381 million.

Emirates currently operates three daily flights between Cairo and Dubai with its popular Boeing 777 aircraft.