Egypt are using the World Youth Championship to promote their bid

Egypt is taking advantage of the ongoing World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to promote its 2010 World Cup bid.

Officials have set up a booth on the sidelines of the tournament and lobbied Fifa officials about the benefits of holding football's premier event in the north African country.

Fans carrying Egyptian flags and banners bearing the proposed logo for the World Cup have been seen at some of the matches at the under-20 championship.

Mohammed al-Seyagi, head of the Egyptian bid committee, said they had decided to launch an aggressive campaign in order to promote their bid to host the 2010 World Cup.

"We have security and peace, a location in the middle of the world, two satellites boosting our communications, pleasant weather, and very reasonable prices and rates," said al-Seyagi.

Fifa has decreed that the World Cup finals will be held on African soil for the first time in 2010. Other countries hoping to host the competition are South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.

The Egyptians say they have set aside US$1.5 billion, of which US$865 million will go to stadia renovation and construction.

Egypt hosted the Under-17 World Championship in 1997, and will also stage the African Nations Cup in 2006 for the fourth time in 25 years.

The Fifa 2010 World Cup inspection team will visit Egypt in mid-January.

Other African nations, such as Libya and Tunisia who are presenting a joint bid, are also using the under-20 championship to advance their 2010 World Cup bids.