China delivered to Egypt the ships "Wadi El Nil" and "Wadi El Qamar" from the "New Hantong" shipyard, which is one of the largest shipyards specializing in building dry bulk ships.
This step comes in implementation of the directives of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to transform Egypt into a regional and international center for transport, logistics and transit trade, and within the framework of the comprehensive plan implemented by the Ministry of Transport to develop the maritime sector, which is based on four main axes, the foremost of which is reviving and restoring the strength of the national merchant fleet.
The handover ceremony was held in the presence of Mohamed Suleiman Metwally, Managing Director of the National Navigation Company, and Hantong Shipyard Chairman Ming Cheng Jun, along with a number of officials and specialists from both the Egyptian and Chinese sides.
In a speech delivered during the ceremony, Egyptian Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir expressed his pride in participating in this occasion, noting that the construction of the two ships in cooperation between the Egyptian National Navigation Company and the Chinese shipyard represents a practical and distinguished model of what can result from cooperation between Cairo and Beijing, and embodies the Egyptian state’s keenness to modernize its commercial fleet and enhance its ability to compete in regional and international markets.
The minister added that Egyptian-Chinese relations are based on deep historical roots and are founded on mutual respect and common interests, explaining that Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1956. He stressed that these relations have witnessed continuous development until they reached the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014, which opened up broad prospects for economic and developmental cooperation, especially through the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
The minister pointed out that the historic visit of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to China in May 2024, and the anticipated visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Egypt, reflect the will of the two countries’ leaderships to push the areas of strategic partnership towards broader horizons, noting that the transport sector represents one of the most prominent areas of this exemplary cooperation, including the development of seaports, the establishment of multi-purpose terminals, investment in dry ports, modernization of railway networks and sustainable green transport, as well as the localization of the transport industry, digital transformation and shipbuilding.
The Minister of Transport explained that the addition of the Nile Valley and Moon Valley vessels to the Egyptian fleet coincides with an unprecedented boom in Egyptian ports, aimed at redefining their role in supporting the national economy. The Ministry's strategic plan includes increasing the number of commercial ports to 19, expanding the total port area to 100 million square meters, and adding new berths with a total length exceeding 100 kilometers and depths ranging from 18 to 25 meters. This also includes extending breakwaters and upgrading the fleet of marine tugboats to 80 high-powered vessels.
It is worth noting that the contract to build the two ships was signed in April 2024, with a tonnage of up to 82,000 tons each. The choice of the names "Wadi El Nil" and "Wadi El Qamar" carries a geographical and symbolic significance that expresses the Egyptian identity as they sail through various ports and shipping lanes around the world.
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