Coffee with EVP North Africa and CEO of DP World Egypt Mohammad Shihab: EnterpriseAM sat down with EVP North Africa and CEO of DP World Egypt Mohammad Shihab, to discuss the company’s expansion beyond the quay through major investments in cold storage and integrated logistics parks. We spoke to Shihab about maintaining record-breaking volumes at Sokhna despite Red Sea volatility and about how the firm is wagering on Grade A infrastructure to serve Egypt’s thriving export sectors.

EnterpriseAM: 2026 — what does it mean for DP World? What are some milestones you are striving toward this year in Egypt?

Mohammad Shihab (MS): 2026 is about maintaining the growth momentum we’ve built. Sokhna remains our focal point — it is a vital gateway to Egypt from the Red Sea, handling about 23% of the country’s container trade. Promoting Sokhna alongside our end-to-end logistics services is a top priority.

This will also be the first full year of operations for our Sokhna Logistics Park. Our focus is on capitalizing on filling it with the specific business verticals we want. As a result, we are advancing Phase 2 construction more ambitiously than we initially intended back in 2023. We are also breaking ground on our cold store facility in 6th of October — a 16k sqm project with 25k-26k pallet positions — which we plan to inaugurate at the start of 2027.

EnterpriseAM: Is cold storage a permanent shift in your agenda?

MS: The short answer is yes. We have eight global core verticals, two or three of which will utilize our cold store solution — specifically perishables and pharma. Egyptian producers are moving up the value chain — not just exporting raw fruit, but also fruit concentrates. They need Grade A logistics infrastructure to enable that. We recognize a massive need for this across the country, so you’ll likely see us building further cold stores beyond the October facility. These projects signal our belief that Egyptian exports are thriving.

EnterpriseAM: Beyond typical port operations, do you see DP World Egypt moving into rail or multimodal transport?

MS: We have established rail operations in other global markets, and we’re looking at how to translate that into the Egyptian context. We want to alleviate road transport and provide more environmentally friendly ways to move cargo from ocean gateways to the hinterland — specifically Cairo and industrial production locations. Dry ports fit perfectly into that strategy over the next five years.

EnterpriseAM: Dry ports are a major priority right now. How do they fit into DP World’s strategy to expand inland logistics corridors over the next five years?

MS: Dry ports are an efficient way to deliver cargo to the hinterland — whether in Egypt or elsewhere — and are a vital addition to our local infrastructure portfolio. While Sokhna is our main Red Sea gateway, we serve the entire country. By providing an end-to-end solution that brings us closer to where our customers actually operate — whether in the Cairo hinterland or further north and west — we become an integrated partner rather than just a terminal.

EnterpriseAM: How are you integrating tech and auto into your operations to improve efficiencies — specifically at Sokhna Port?

MS: Last year was a record-volume year. We initially hoped to hit the 1 mn TEU milestone, but we actually hit 1.1 mn TEUs — coming on the back of highly efficient operations. DP World globally is a recognized innovator in container terminal operations; we have high metrics on crane productivity and similar initiatives.

EnterpriseAM: The global trade environment has been volatile in recent years. How is DP World Egypt insulating itself from the Red Sea crisis and other shocks?

MS: We’ve found it is better to create resilience to navigate different scenarios rather than speculating on outcomes. From 2020 onward, the philosophy has changed: it used to be about cost and speed; now, supply chain resilience is the key topic. Counterintuitively, we had a very successful time during the Red Sea crisis. DP World Sokhna not only managed to meet volumes but also gained market share. We are prepping for multiple scenarios in 2026 — whether things normalize in the first half, the second half, or into 2027.

EnterpriseAM: What are some exciting developments you see happening in the regional logistics sector, and how is your company adapting, or rather capitalizing, on these?

MS: Across the region, logistics infrastructure is upgrading to meet growing demand, and companies like DP World are leading the way. Cargo owners initially operated under 1PL, using their own warehouses, then moved to 2PL, renting facilities, and now often rely on 3PL providers, outsourcing operations entirely. Investments in infrastructure, such as Sokhna Logistics Park and Logistica, reflect this evolution across the region.

Other key trends include supply chain resilience — companies are diversifying through near-sourcing or “friend-sourcing” to reduce dependence on specific geographies. Digitization and AI are also transforming operations, from upstream booking to downstream delivery.