Coffee with Abir Leheta: The newly-merged Egytrans-Nosco started trading on the EGX last Thursday and EnterpriseAM got the chance to catch up with CEO Abir Leheta (LinkedIn) on the sidelines of the opening bell marking the company’s official trading debut. We spoke to Leheta about the merged entity’s growth plans and what’s next for Egytrans-Nosco amid a mix of challenges and opportunities in the local and regional logistics markets.

REMEMBER- Egytrans completed its acquisition of 99.9% of National Transport and Overseas Services Company(Nosco) in September, marking the first reverse merger on the Egyptian Stock Exchange through a share swap. The transaction has been in the works since at least March 2023. Under the transaction terms, Leheta — originally Egytrans CEO — became the CEO of shared services for the merged entity, while Nosco’s Mohamed Nadim became CEO for commercial affairs and operations.

Edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: Following the reverse merger, how does Egytrans-Nosco stand out and improve its competitiveness in the logistics market?

Abir Leheta: Today, we have merged two entities, each bringing a unique set of strengths to the table. Egytrans’ core advantage was its diversity and continuous expansion in services. Nosco, meanwhile, offered deep expertise in specialized transport, road transport, and major projects. By combining these strengths, we move beyond simple service provision to offering integrated solutions for clients needing complex logistics answers, or for those seeking significant transport economies.

We’re now 1.5 times the size of Egytrans pre-merger. The acquisition dramatically increased our scale. Our capital grew from EGP 156 mn to EGP 224 mn, pushing our market capitalization above EGP 1 bn. Regarding physical capacity, we manage a total storage capacity of 72k sqm. This includes 46k sqm managed by Egytrans and 26k sqm inherited from Nosco

EnterpriseAM: What is the official structure and brand identity moving forward? Will Nosco’s brand name remain in use?

AL: The listed parent company will be renamed “Egytrans-Nosco,” and a corporate restructuring plan will be rolled out following an Extraordinary General Assembly meeting scheduled for 11 December. Under the plan, Egytrans-Nosco will centrally manage all our transport and logistics investments. Beneath this umbrella, we will have four fully-owned subsidiaries: Egytrans for Logistics Solutions, Egytrans for Storage Solutions, Nosco (retaining its role as the road transport and projects arm), and our Saudi-based launchpad, Egytrans Arabia. Additionally, we maintain strategic ownership in partner companies like Wilhelmsen Group and Nafith International.

EnterpriseAM: Can you share with us some details about your growth plans?

AL: We achieved significant growth in our logistics services, which is our core business, averaging 50% annual expansion in that activity in recent years, and we are maintaining a strategic focus on it. Regarding other services, our storage capabilities will see a major expansion with the addition of a 17k sqm warehouse in Ain Sokhna, slated for rollout next year. We are also moving into the business of transporting agricultural crops. As for our transport services, it highly depends on the volume of active projects in Egypt and how many more projects we are able to secure — so, it varies.

Moving forward, the merger will enable us to take on more clients and projects. It also made us able to send part of our fleet to Saudi Arabia. We recently secured a wind transport project that began in August and will continue until the first half of 2026. We are also heavily involved in the mobility sector, supporting projects like the Abu Qir Metro, and are executing multiple major transport operations at the Dabaa nuclear power station.

EnterpriseAM: Speaking of more clients, can you tell us more about your expansion into Saudi Arabia?

Egytrans Arabia launched operations in the Kingdom last January with three primary goals for the year: Establishing a strong presence, building a robust team, and developing a powerful fleet. It has already secured projects in the railway, electricity, NEOM station, and petroleum sectors. Crucially, we are utilizing it to increase freight traffic between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, positioning Egytrans Arabia as our key launchpad for serving the entire Gulf region.

EnterpriseAM: The use of tech and AI-powered applications can help several trucking companies consolidate bigger market shares. Where does the new entity stand on technology?

AL: AI is now integrated into our operations, from warehouses to increase their efficiency, to the organization and planning of road transport. This leads to helping reduce travel distances and ensuring better utilization of our fleet.

Our investment in Nafith Egypt — a JV focused on digitized logistics solutions with Nafith International — underscores our serious commitment to tech in the sector. We firmly believe that digitization can improve not just our company’s performance, but the performance of the economy as a whole by improving the movement of transport within the country. Furthermore, we maintain a strong interest in transport and logistics startups, adopting ideas and establishing partnerships through programs like Logivators.

EnterpriseAM: Have Red Sea trade disruptions affected your operations in the short term? How did you adapt?

AL: The disruptions certainly had an impact, but they pushed us to innovate. For example, we swiftly rolled out a new transit service connecting China and the Gulf countries to Europe via Egyptian territory. It’s a solution that was crafted to save our customers a lot of time compared to taking the long route around the Cape of Good Hope.

EnterpriseAM: Can you comment on Egytrans’ financial performance in recent years?

AL: We saw a downward trend in the bottom line recently, primarily due to the merger process. Many projects were concentrated under Nosco’s umbrella, which did not immediately reflect in Egytrans’s performance before consolidation. Once consolidated financial statements are released, this trend will be remedied.

We also faced a decline in freezone activity due to a government decision halting the entry of cars for people living with disabilities. Consequently, we are pivoting our freezone services to focus on other goods and value-added services aimed at export.

EnterpriseAM: What’s your take on Egypt’s logistics sector today? And what sort of policies would you like to see introduced?

AL: It is a promising sector, and there has been room for development. There have been major investments in infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and ports. There is also great scope for developing actual efficiency and providing the necessary capabilities for the industrial leap and foreign investments that we desire. Investment in this sector is endless.

As for recommended policies, we can benefit from efforts to accelerate customs clearance procedures, coupled with certain tax adjustments, that will support the transport and logistics sector.

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