Egyptian Tycoon Yasmine Khamis Turns To Ai To Power Africa's Next Retail Boom

Oriental Weavers debuts worlds first AI-powered phygital carpet showroom, merging traditional retail with digital visualization and personalization tools.

CEO Yasmine Mohamed Khamis leads shift toward smart retail as Oriental Weavers reports 27 Q1 revenue growth despite a dip in profit.

Africas digital transformation gains pace as Oriental Weavers and Cassava Technologies push AI-led innovation in retail and infrastructure.

In the quiet, sunlit corner of New Cairos Mivida neighborhood, a 250-square-meter showroom is offering a glimpse into what African retail might become. The space belongs to Oriental Weavers , the global carpet brand built by the late industrialist Mohamed Farid Khamis and now led by his daughter, Yasmine Mohamed Khamis. But this isnt just a showroom, its a signal of where the Cairo-based global carpet giant, and perhaps the continent, is headed next.

Called OW Haptech, the new flagship store is the first of its kind across the world: a phygital carpet showroom that blends the physical and digital into a single customer experience. Visitors can walk in and see traditional machine-made carpets up closebut they can also use digital projection tools to visualize how a rug might look in their living room.

With AI-powered modules, they can tweak colors and patterns on the spot. Sampling stations react to touch and preference, inviting people to shape their ideal product in real-time. For Khamis, this move into artificial intelligence AI is a response to how the world is changing. With a presence in over 118 countries, we are proud to be a symbol of Made in Egypt excellence, she says. That reputation, she believes, needs to evolve with the times.

Oriental Weavers is making this shift just as retail is going through a major rethink. The habits of shoppers, especially younger ones, have changed. People now expect speed, personalization, and seamless digital experiences. Yasmine Mohamed Khamis understands that keeping the brand relevant means blending its long-standing strengths in manufacturing with a more forward-looking, tech-driven mindset. OW Haptech is her first major step in that direction, and it may only be the beginning.

The numbers show that the company is holding its ground in a challenging environment. In the first quarter of 2025, Oriental Weavers reported EGP6.4 billion 128.22 million in revenue , up 27 percent from the same time last year. Profit dipped slightly, down 1.2 percent to EGP551 million 11 million, but overall margins remain strong thanks to export rebates and careful cost management. In a global market where many manufacturers are struggling with inflation and supply chain issues, these figures reflect a business still finding ways to grow and adjust.