Egypt’s president urges continuing coordination with Sudan to improve river transport

CAIRO – 14 April 2022: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi urged relevant authorities to continue coordination with Sudanese authorities in an effort to improve river transportation between the two countries, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

Sisi’s remarks were made as he held a meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir. The meeting discussed the executive position of the projects carried out by the transport ministry, especially those related to river navigation.

During the meeting, Sisi was briefed on river linking plans between Egypt and Sudan by utilizing the navigational line between the ports of the High Dam and Wadi Halfa, which extends to around 500 kilometers and is suitable for river navigation throughout the year.

Sisi affirmed the importance of maximizing the trade exchange between the two countries through the development of the Nile Valley Authority for River Navigation and raising the efficiency of the loading and unloading berths along the navigational line.

Wazir also briefed Sisi on efforts made to boost the capacity of the various sea ports along the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, especially the ports of Alexandria and Dekhela, which include various sectors and logistic areas.

The minister also briefed Sisi on the efforts to link them with the main roads and axes up until the international coastal road and reviewed the workflow to develop the ports of Ain Sokhna and Safaga as well as plans to develop Damietta ports and axes around it.

Wazir also reviewed efforts to improve the railway system nationwide, notably work underway for the infrastructure of the high-speed electric railway running from Ain Sokhna to Marsa Matrouh, especially the workflow in the stations and fleet of mobile units.

In this regard, Sisi ordered beginning Line 2 of the project, which is set to extend from Ain Sokhna to Abu Simbel as this shall contribute to boosting tourism by providing safe and fast means of transportation.

The meeting also reviewed the executive status of the new Bashtil railway station, which should contribute to improving services delivered to commuters of Upper Egypt trains.

The discussions also touched on workflow in both lines of the Monorail east and west of the Nile, as well as developments in the third phase of Line 3 of the metro.

Also, discussions included the latest developments pertinent to work in the Light Rail Transit, LRT, which spans 103 KM over 19 stations, and will mark an unprecedented significant leap in the mass transportation system in Greater Cairo.