Breaking down the many agreements signed during day two of TransMEA

Deals galore at TransMEA: Day two of transport, logistics, and infrastructure expo TransMEA was pretty eventful, with a long list of agreements inked covering a variety of sectors.

PORTS & LOGISTICS-

#1- Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals will establish two terminals at the new Abu Qir Port and Gargoub Port for USD 230 mn, CEO Abdelkader Darwish told EnterpriseAM on the sidelines of TransMEA. The state-owned company inked an MoU for the projects with the Transport Ministry yesterday.

The two terminals are slated for completion within 18 months of signing the final contracts, once market studies have been finalized. The proposed terminal at the new Abu Qir Port is estimated to cost USD 110 mn, covering an area of 360k sqm and featuring quays with a total length of 800 meters. The Gargoub Port terminal is estimated to cost USD 120 mn, covering an area of 700k sqm with quays at a total length of 2k meters.

About the company: The holding company was established by the Transport Ministry in 2018 to design, construct, operate, and maintain multipurpose platforms.

#2- Cooperation with Italy on dry ports: The General Authority for Land and Dry Ports signed an MoU with Italy’s Technital covering technical cooperation on dry ports and logistics zones.

RAILWAYS-

#1- Laying the groundwork for new infrastructure: Egyptian National Railways (ENR) signed an agreement with Italy’s Salcef and TLC to establish a new joint-stock company, dubbed Salcef Track for Infrastructure, and to renew 300 km of track and 200 turnouts as part of its ongoing modernization drive.

#2- A luxury ride down the Nile: ENR inked an agreement with Italy’s Arsenale Group to operate the luxury tourist train Guardian of the Nile, which will offer upscale travel experiences along the Nile Valley.

#3- Premium service on the rails: ENR also signed heads of terms with Elsewedy Electric and Germany’s DRO to operate new premium passenger trains.

#4- Breathing new life into old locomotives: Canada’s Advanced Power Dynamics will rehabilitate 180 locomotives under a contract that also includes plans to localize spare-parts manufacturing in Egypt.

#5- Localizing rail components: The National Egyptian Railway Industries Company (Neric) and the Arab Organization for Industrialization's Semaf signed an agreement to localize the manufacturing of rolling-stock bogies.

METRO & HIGH-SPEED RAIL-

#1- High-speed rail operations secured: The National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) signed a contract with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn and Elsewedy Electric to operate Egypt’s new high-speed rail network.

#2- Localizing platform screen doors: The authority also signed an MoU with China’s Fangda to localize the manufacture of platform screen door systems.

#3- Expanding the light rail network: The authority signed a framework agreement with China’s AVIC and MBEC to implement phase four of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, extending the network’s reach to new suburban areas.

#4- Localizing rolling stock: Another MoU was signed with AVIC and CASCO Signal to localize the manufacturing of rolling stock.

#5- Linking Heliopolis to the airport: The authority inked a framework agreement with a consortium led by France’s Vinci to execute phase five of Cairo Metro Line 3, connecting Heliopolis with Cairo International Airport.

#6- Planning Alexandria’s transport future: A consortium including Logit Consulting and ITDP signed an advisory contract with NAT to prepare Alexandria’s sustainable urban transport plan.

PLUS- Going digital and greener: Homegrown TransIT signed a contract with the Arab British Dynamics Industries (ABD), a subsidiary of the Arab Organization for Industrialization, to locally manufacture electronic fare gates. TransIT also inked an MoU with another local player to implement and operate the initiative to replace white taxis with smart EVs, as part of the government’s broader shift toward sustainable urban mobility.