The contract was signed in Ismailia in the presence of Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Osama Rabie, and Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber.
Under the agreement, the Suez Canal Company for Modern Boats will construct the vessels for Cairo Governorate under the supervision of Italian classification society RINA.
The five river buses will each accommodate 60 passengers and operate electrically, marking the first deployment of clean-energy public river transport units in Cairo, according to the statement.
Each vessel will be 19 metres long, 5.5 metres wide, and have a one-metre draft.
The project forms part of broader state efforts to revive river transport as a sustainable mobility alternative in Greater Cairo, where authorities are seeking to reduce traffic congestion, cut emissions, and diversify public transportation systems.
“The Nile is not merely a waterway, but an integrated development axis,” Al-Wazir said during the signing ceremony, adding that the government aims to maximize the use of river transport for passengers, cargo movement, and domestic tourism.
He said the agreement also reflected Egypt’s wider strategy to localize transport manufacturing and modernize river transport infrastructure, including docks, vessels, operational systems, and safety standards, noting that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had directed the government to increase the number of planned river buses from three to five.
Rabie said the Suez Canal Authority had made significant progress in localizing the manufacture of maritime and river units through its shipyards and affiliated companies, adding that the authority was also seeking to expand exports under the “Made in Egypt” label.
Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber stated that the introduction of electric-powered river buses aligned with Egypt’s transition toward sustainable transportation and cleaner energy use, describing the project as a direct response to citizens’ transportation needs.
Mustafa El-Degheishy, chief executive of the Suez Canal Company for Modern Boats, said construction had already begun on the first vessel, with steel-cutting works underway ahead of the phased implementation of the remaining units.
Egypt has increasingly promoted river transport as part of broader efforts to modernize urban mobility and reduce pressure on Cairo’s road network. The government has also expanded investments in electric buses, metro lines, monorails, and railway modernization projects under its sustainable transport strategy.
It has simultaneously accelerated investments in sustainable and electric mobility projects, including electric buses, monorails, metro expansion, high-speed rail, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, as part of its wider green transport agenda.
In April, Egypt announced the start of manufacturing its first electric river bus in partnership with a Chinese company, with production to take place locally as part of a broader plan to modernize Nile transport and expand clean-energy mobility solutions.
RINA, originally founded in Genoa in 1861 as Registro Italiano Navale, is one of the world’s oldest and most prominent maritime classification societies, specializing in ship classification, engineering consultancy, testing, inspection, and certification services for the marine and transport sectors.
The company is headquartered in Genoa, Italy, and operates in over 70 countries with thousands of technical experts worldwide. It is a founding member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), the global body responsible for establishing and harmonizing technical standards for ship safety and marine engineering.
In shipbuilding and maritime transport projects, classification societies such as RINA act as independent technical supervisors, verifying that vessels comply with international safety, structural, environmental, and operational standards.
Their role typically covers vessel design approval, construction supervision, inspections, certification, and periodic safety surveys.
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