Amr El-Samadouni, Secretary-General of the International Transportation and Logistics Services Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, has called for increased cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders—both from the public and private sectors—to address the challenges facing international transport and logistics. These challenges include disruptions in the Red Sea, ship reluctance to enter the region, and supply chain interruptions due to ongoing events in Gaza, Sudan, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
El-Samadouni highlighted that Egypt’s shipping and logistics market is estimated to be $14.56bn in 2024, with an expected growth to $18bn by 2029 (a compound annual growth rate of 4.33% during the forecast period).
Port congestion resulting from global trade volume increases, ship and container shortages, and supply chain disruptions lead to delays in goods transport and higher transportation costs. El-Samadouni emphasized the need to transform seaports into smart green logistics hubs, connect them to international navigation networks, and enhance port workers’ efficiency globally.
He also stressed the importance of pricing port services based on economic principles, focusing on logistics to position Egypt as a global trade and logistics hub, and establishing a logistics regulatory body and a higher logistics council.
El-Samadouni called for tracking logistics performance through an observatory and promoting multimodal and integrated transport to make Egypt a transit trade centre. Research on sustainable port infrastructure projects, considering future ship sizes, should be done in collaboration with global shipping companies.
“Activating ports as integrated logistics centres, linking them to global supply chains, and ensuring local and global integration will reduce costs and improve service quality,” he elaborated. “Investment opportunities in ports and logistics fields, feasibility studies, and learning from global port experiences are crucial for supply chain resilience and economic impact.”
In conclusion, El-Samadouni urged rapid activation of ports as integrated logistics centres to enhance services related to ships and cargo movement, fostering global supply chain improvements.
