The Ministry of Transport calls on private sector companies to invest in the river transport sector. Photo by Ministry of Transport
In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry highlighted opportunities for private sector participation, including the construction of modern vessels for petroleum transport and specialized river units for containers and vehicles.
It also highlighted potential cooperation in developing river ports and berths.
Home to Africa’s largest waterway, the Nile River — which stretches approximately 3,126 kilometres within Egyptian territory — Egypt holds vast untapped potential for river transport.
In recent years, the Egyptian government has rolled out a revitalization plan to shift more passenger and cargo traffic onto waterways, aiming to ease road congestion, cut fuel consumption, and reduce accidents.
In earlier reports, the ministry revealed that the plan aims to lower fuel consumption by 64 percent.
The strategy includes infrastructure upgrades, regulatory reforms, and centralized oversight under the General Authority for River Transport (GART).
As part of the plan, a network of river ports is being developed to handle diverse cargo, including containers, while also supporting passenger travel along the Nile.
Many of these ports—spread across multiple governorates—will specialize in specific goods but can also accommodate general cargo under GART-coordinated contracts.
The ministry is also modernizing navigation locks, with several new ones built to top-notch engineering standards to increase capacity, slash transit times, and allow 24-hour operation.
Additionally, efforts are underway to dredge and maintain the Nile’s navigational channel, to ensure a safe passage for Nile cruise boats, tourist vessels, and commercial shipping units.
The ministry has also set up a digital river information services database to guide and manage inland transport.
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