Egypt’s Transport Ministry plans to launch six new maritime shipping lines over the next four years, linking Egyptian ports with East and West Africa, in a move the government says will more than double cargo throughput at Egyptian ports by the end of the decade.
A source familiar with the ports file at the Transport Ministry told Al Manassa that the plan aims to raise total cargo volumes from about 185 million tons in the current fiscal year to 400 million tons by the 2029-2030.
The source, who requested anonymity, said the first shipping line is expected to connect the port of Alexandria with the port of Doraleh in Djibouti, either later this year or, at the latest, in early 2027.
The ministry is currently holding intensive talks with global shipping companies to establish regular maritime services between Egyptian and African ports, following what the source described as a decade of comprehensive sector development costing nearly 300 billion Egyptian pounds.
Last month, an Egyptian consortium led by the Holding Company for Maritime and Land Transport and Green Horn Holding for Investment signed a terms-and-conditions agreement for a project to build a new multipurpose terminal in Djibouti.
A second project will operate a shipping line linking Alexandria with the ports of Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, while a third project aims to connect Alexandria with the ports of Toamasina in Madagascar and Maputo in Mozambique, explained the ministry source.
The plan also includes three additional shipping lines departing from the ports of Ain Sokhna and East Port Said to several West African ports, including Mauritania, Senegal and Ghana, the source said.
Currently, cargo transport between Egyptian ports and those in East and West Africa is largely dictated by the commercial decisions of shipping companies, depending on client profiles and cargo type and volume. The government, however, is seeking to expand Egyptian exports to African markets, while simultaneously increasing imports of raw materials from the continent to meet domestic demand.
The source said linking Egyptian ports to Africa has become a government priority, backed by measures aimed at overcoming obstacles to implementation, most notably high costs and fees and cargo volumes that do not always meet the requirements of some shipping companies. The ministry is working to address these challenges to ensure the sustainability of services and prevent future disruptions.
The total cargo throughput at Egyptian ports would reach about 185 million tons in the current fiscal year, up from 180 million tons last year, before rising to 265 million tons next fiscal year and eventually reaching 400 million tons by 2029-2030, the source projected.
Last month, AD Ports Group announced that it had submitted an acquisition offer that would allow it to take control of Alexandria Container Handling Company, one of Egypt’s oldest container operators, which was established by the state in the 1980s.
In recent years, the Emirati company has signed multiple agreements with both the private sector and the state to enter a range of transport-related activities. Experts previously told Al Manassa that Abu Dhabi’s control extends beyond Alexandria, warning of a concentration of transport concessions in the company’s hands and lenient contractual terms, while government officials have argued that turning to the company was necessary given the limited alternatives available.
