Egypt's transport minister visits France to negotiate 3 deals

CAIRO – 7 July 2021: Minister of Transportation Kamel al-Wazir has gone to France to negotiate three deals as indicated in a press statement issued Tuesday.

Talks are underway to strike a deal with CMA CGM S.A. to operate Alexandria's multipurpose station; another with Transdev and other Egyptian companies to operate Egypt's first bus rapid transit (BRT), and to acquire funding from the French government to implement a number of underground metro projects.

The multipurpose station in the Port of Alexandria – worth LE3 billion - spans over 560,000 square meters, and has quays extending over 2,500 meters. There are three quays for cargo ships, two quays for oil tankers, and two dry quays for handling cargo.

During his visit, Wazir met with his French counterpart John-Baptiste Lemoyne whereas current cooperation has been displayed.

For instance, Alstom implements the monorail extending between the New Administrative Capital and 6th of October City, the signaling system of Greater Cairo's third metro line executed by a consortium of Egyptian and French companies led by Vinci Construction, and upgrades the signaling systems of railways stretching over 250 kilometers in Beni Suef governorate.

Further, RATPDev is contracted to maintain and operate the third metro line, and to operate the monorail, and the LRT linking Salam City with the 10th of Ramadan City through the New Administrative Capital.

Egypt's Transport Ministry and the French Ministry of Economy and Finance signed a roadmap to fund the purchase of 55 trains for Greater Cairo's first metro line, which is undergoing upgrade works, as well as the trains to be operated on the sixth metro line to be established within years.

That is in addition to financing the introduction of the sixth line's signaling, communications, control, electricity, and ticketing systems. The roadmap also consists of cooperation between French manufacturers and Egypt's Semaf factory to localize the production of railcars.