Egypt studies establishment of monorail line in Sharm El Sheikh

CAIRO – 20 May 2019: A Chinese company submitted a presentation to South Sinai governorate to establish a monorail line in Sharm El Sheikh Resort, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office on Sunday.

The project aims to serve tourists in Egypt, the statement said, adding that Secretary-General of South Sinai governorate Nader al-Ashmawi ordered forming a technical committee from all concerned bodies to study the offer.

In January 2019, Deputy Minister of Transport Amr Shaat announced that the government offered a tender to set up two monorail lines; a 52-km-long line linking the New Administrative Capital with East Cairo and downtown and a 35-km-network connecting 6th October City with Giza. He added that three international companies [Canadian, Chinese, and Malaysian] submitted their bids for the project.


Bilateral relations between Egypt and China have recently witnessed an improvement. President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi discussed ways of enhancing ties with the Asian country during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRFIC) held in Beijing in April. Egypt discussed economic development efforts with China to attract more investments and build new megaprojects across the country, including the Suez Canal Corridor, logistic industrial zones, and new ports on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Chinese exports to Egypt hit $11 billion in 2018 against imports worth just $1.8 billion. Also, the Cairo Chamber of Commerce received in April a delegation from Tong'an City, China, including more than 22 specialized companies in various fields of technology, mobile and electronic industries.

Additional Reporting by Noha el Tawil