Egyptian Transport Minister, Engineer Kamal El-Wazir, recently met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Engineer Saleh Al-Jasser, to discuss enhancing cooperation in transportation, logistics, and maritime connectivity. The meeting took place on the sidelines of El-Wazir's visit to Germany from September 22 to 25 to participate in the InnoTrans conference in Berlin. The two ministers explored ways to strengthen their collaboration, which would support trade growth and maximize the benefits of their strategic locations.
During the meeting, El-Wazir congratulated Al-Jasser on Saudi Arabia's National Day, and conveyed a message of congratulations from Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Saudi people. El-Wazir emphasized the deep-rooted relations between the two nations, which go beyond diplomatic and economic ties, and are instead built on a long history and a shared destiny.
El-Wazir highlighted Egypt's development vision, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030, led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These visions, he noted, offer vast opportunities for increased integration and strategic partnerships in the transportation and logistics sectors, among others. This cooperation is expected to drive growth and development in the coming phase.
Al-Jasser echoed El-Wazir's sentiments, stressing the importance of strengthening cooperation in transportation, particularly given the significant developments in Egypt's and Saudi Arabia's transportation and infrastructure sectors. The two ministers discussed the importance of working together to enhance integration between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in international corridors, and the need to strengthen connectivity between Saudi and Egyptian ports.
The ministers emphasized the significance of the Southern Arab Trade Corridor, which connects Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries via Egypt. They highlighted the potential of utilizing the Egyptian-Italian Ro-Ro line between the ports of Damietta and Trieste, and integrating it with international logistics corridors up to the port of Safaga, and then to the port of NEOM (formerly known as Duba) in Saudi Arabia.
El-Wazir mentioned that his ministry is planning to establish eight integrated logistics corridors to connect production zones with seaports, using a network of railways and main roads, and passing through dry ports and logistics areas. This initiative aims to transform Egypt into a regional hub for transportation, logistics, and transit trade.
The two ministers agreed that the next phase requires continued cooperation and the exploration of new opportunities for partnership in economic, investment, and trade areas. They emphasized the importance of maximizing the benefits of their available resources and capabilities, and the role of the Egyptian-Saudi Higher Coordination Council in promoting bilateral cooperation and advancing it to new levels.
Key points
- Egypt and Saudi Arabia are exploring ways to enhance cooperation in transportation, logistics, and maritime connectivity to support trade growth and economic development.
