Minister of Transport Lieutenant General Kamel Al Wazir discussed with British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams, cooperation in current and future projects in the fields of railways, electric tractors and the underground metro.
At the beginning of the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed the depth of Egyptian-British relations and the historical cooperation linking both in the field of railways. They discussed the latest developments concerning the supply of the first two monorail trains from Alstom factories in Derby in the UK, following the acquisition of Bombardier by Alstom, following confirmation of the supply of the two trains was confirmed in September.
In addition, they examined the latest developments regarding a deal, supported by UK Export Finance, to supply 50 new tractors and develop 50 Henschel tractors, contracted between the Egyptian Railway Authority and Progress Rail of America.
The two parties also discussed the UK branch of Hitachi’s interest in manufacturing and supplying 200 sleeping cars for the Egyptian Railway Authority. The Minister of Transport confirmed that the ministry has an ambitious plan to support the sleeping car fleet in efforts to improve the services provided to citizens and support the tourism sector, pointing to the importance of submitting the offer to the Simaf factory in line with the leadership directives to develop the transport sector in Egypt.
The British Ambassador also confirmed the interest of the American company Bechtel, which also has a branch in the UK, in cooperating with the Ministry of Transport on the development of the sixth line of the metro project, noting that the company would present a technical and financial offer during the first week of next July, stressing the importance of this project.
British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams said: “Minister of Transport and I had a fruitful and productive discussion today on UK-Egypt cooperation to support Egypt’s transport sector. Through the efforts of UK companies, supported by UK Export Finance, we are helping develop a more sustainable and efficient railway and transportation system which will serve millions of Egyptians daily. These projects build on substantial UK involvement in developing the new electric monorail in Cairo, and provide job opportunities for Egyptians and British citizens alike. And importantly, they are providing green, clean transport options – vital if we are to collectively reach our climate targets as we prepare for COP26 later this year.”
The Ambassador emphasized the UK companies’ continued interest in the Egyptian market, and highlighted the UK’s commitment to supporting Egypt’s transport sector and strengthening commercial ties.
The UK has a strong history of cooperation with Egypt’s transport sector already, having signed one of the biggest investment deals in Africa’s infrastructure sector, to develop two electrified monorails that in the Cairo metropolitan area, which together will transport millions of people every year. The deal included a UK component worth £517m and UKEF contribution of over £1.7bn, the largest amount of financing it has ever provided for an overseas infrastructure project.
