Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi reviewed progress on a series of strategic port and transport projects on Sunday, directing officials to complete them on schedule and in line with the highest quality standards, as Egypt seeks to strengthen its position as a regional trade and logistics hub.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir, and senior officials, Al-Sisi received updates on the expansion of Safaga, Damietta, Alexandria, and Sokhna ports, which form a key pillar of the country’s strategy to enhance trade connectivity and logistics services.
The president stressed the importance of developing logistics infrastructure and integrating maritime, rail, and road transport networks to facilitate trade and deepen economic integration, particularly with Arab and African countries.
The meeting also reviewed progress on Egypt’s high-speed electric railway network, the East and West Nile monorail projects, and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system on Cairo’s Ring Road.
Al-Wazir said trial operations on the first line of the high-speed rail network, linking Ain Sokhna, New Alamein, and Marsa Matrouh, are scheduled to begin in September 2026 and continue for six months.
He added that the network’s second and third lines will strengthen links between newly reclaimed agricultural areas, industrial and consumption centres, and export ports, while also supporting tourism, improving population distribution, and creating new development corridors.
Al-Wazir said the East Nile Monorail is expected to significantly reduce travel times between Greater Cairo, New Cairo, and the New Administrative Capital once it enters service.
He added that the West Nile Monorail, extending 43.8 kilometres from 6th of October City to Wadi El-Nil Station in Mohandessin with 13 stations, is scheduled to begin operations in 2027.
The minister also said the second phase of the BRT project on Cairo’s Ring Road is ready for operation and will serve some of the capital’s most densely populated districts.
Al-Sisi stressed the importance of accelerating the completion of environmentally sustainable mass transit projects, describing them as essential to supporting Egypt’s urban, industrial, and tourism development.
The meeting also reviewed plans to rehabilitate major roads and bridges, including the Western Desert Road linking Giza and Abu Simbel, the expansion of the Aswan-Berenice Highway connecting Upper Egypt with the Red Sea coast, and maintenance work on Cairo’s 6th of October Bridge aimed at easing congestion and upgrading deteriorating road surfaces and expansion joints.
According to the presidency, Al-Sisi instructed officials to ensure that all transport projects are completed within their planned timelines while maintaining the highest construction, operational, and safety standards.
