Damietta Port

Shipping Arabia, September 26, 2026 – Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company is expanding its imported vehicle handling and storage services as part of a wider strategy to diversify cargo activities and develop higher-value logistics services.

The company said recent shipments have included gasoline-powered and electric passenger cars, minibuses and light commercial vehicles, demonstrating its ability to handle a wider range of imported automotive cargo.

Several of the shipments arrived on vessels associated with Yang Ming Egypt S.A.E. and were discharged at the company’s terminal in Damietta as part of regular vessel operations.

Vehicle Handling Activity Broadens

Following discharge, the vehicles were transferred to a dedicated storage facility used for imported automobile handling and storage.

The company said the operation reflects the terminal’s technical and operational readiness to manage different vehicle types while providing the logistics services required for safe storage and onward handling.

The broader mix of vehicles also reflects the company’s efforts to expand beyond traditional cargo activities and make greater use of its infrastructure and available operating capacity.

Damietta Targets Specialized Logistics Growth

Executive Managing Director Rear Adm. Rafik Galal said the company is continuing to implement a strategy focused on diversifying cargo-handling activities and maximizing the use of its infrastructure and operational capabilities.

The expansion of imported vehicle handling is part of that approach, with the company seeking to offer more specialized logistics services to shipping lines, customs brokers and cargo owners.

Galal said growing activity in this segment reflects customer confidence in the company’s ability to handle automotive cargo efficiently and flexibly.

The company also plans to continue developing its service portfolio and strengthening strategic partnerships to attract additional business.

Supporting Egypt’s Logistics Ambitions

The development forms part of wider efforts across Egypt’s transport and maritime sectors to strengthen the country’s position in transit trade, logistics and marine transportation.

By expanding imported vehicle handling and storage, Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company is seeking to create additional value from its existing facilities while broadening the range of services available at the terminal.

The company said it will continue focusing on operational efficiency, service development and customer requirements as it expands activity in specialized cargo segments.

Source: Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company

Shipping Arabia, September 25, 2026 – Damietta Port Authority has received an Exceptional Courage Award for its emergency response to an incident involving two regasification and storage vessels at the Egyptian port, where teams contained the situation while maintaining the safety and continuity of port operations.

The award was presented during Egypt’s World Maritime Day 2026 celebration in Alexandria, held under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”

Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir presented the award to Rear Adm. Tarek Adly Abdullah, Chairman of Damietta Port Authority, recognizing port personnel involved in responding to the incident.

According to the authority, teams acted rapidly to contain the situation involving the two vessels, helping prevent potentially serious consequences while protecting port facilities and allowing operations to continue.

The response involved coordination between different port departments and relevant authorities, with the award recognizing the personnel involved for their emergency preparedness, decision-making and response under exceptional operating conditions.

Damietta Port said the incident demonstrated the importance of emergency readiness alongside infrastructure and capacity development, particularly the ability of ports to protect personnel, vessels and facilities while maintaining operational continuity.

Abdullah said the recognition reflected the collective response of the port teams involved and would support further efforts to strengthen Damietta’s safety and emergency management capabilities.

The award was presented as part of Egypt’s World Maritime Day activities, which brought together senior government, port and maritime officials to highlight operational performance, safety, sustainability and the continued development of the country’s maritime sector.

Source: Damietta Port Authority

Shipping Arabia, September 24, 2026 – Damietta Port has launched a comprehensive assessment of its economic and environmental impact and competitive position among Egyptian and regional ports, as it seeks to align ongoing infrastructure expansion with future operational and logistics requirements.

The Damietta Port Authority organized a stakeholder dialogue in cooperation with the General Authority for Transport Planning, bringing together port officials, operators, maritime companies, industry specialists and transport experts to contribute to the study.

The assessment will examine the port’s operational performance, economic contribution, environmental impact and competitive advantages, alongside the challenges and opportunities expected to influence its future development. The findings are intended to support investment priorities and long-term planning.

Damietta Port Authority Chairman Rear Adm. Tarek Adly Abdullah said port performance can no longer be measured solely through vessel calls and cargo volumes, but must also consider economic and environmental impact, contribution to trade and logistics, value creation and long-term competitiveness.

Damietta Governor Hossam El-Din Fawzy highlighted the port’s role in supporting economic development in the governorate and the importance of coordination between government institutions and other stakeholders as major development projects advance.

The session included a presentation by Prof. Khaled El-Sakty, Dean of the College of International Transport and Logistics at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, outlining the study’s methodology and indicators for assessing performance, competitiveness and environmental and economic impact.

Damietta Port Authority Vice Chairman Rear Adm. Dr. Ahmed Hamdy Abdel Aziz also presented the port’s recent performance indicators and ongoing national development projects, focusing on how additional infrastructure and logistics capacity could strengthen its ability to respond to changes in maritime transport and supply chains.

Participants reviewed operational strengths and constraints, environmental considerations and future opportunities, with industry feedback expected to be incorporated into the final assessment and recommendations.

The study forms part of Damietta’s wider effort to combine port expansion, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability as it strengthens its position within Egypt’s port network and the wider Eastern Mediterranean logistics market.

Source: Damietta Port Authority

Shipping Arabia, September 24, 2026 – Hapag-Lloyd has introduced a new feeder arrangement to maintain Casablanca coverage following changes to its West Africa Express (WAX) service, which now provides direct connections between Damietta and key West African ports.

The carrier will market the new Casablanca Feeder (CSF) service using slots on X-Press Feeders’ SPX1 service, according to Alphaliner. The rotation covers Barcelona – Valencia – Algeciras – Casablanca – Barcelona, with cargo connecting to Hapag-Lloyd’s WAX network.

The arrangement follows Hapag-Lloyd’s decision to remove Casablanca from the revised WAX rotation while maintaining access to the Moroccan port through a separate feeder connection via Valencia.

Under the revised WAX structure, Hapag-Lloyd is strengthening links between the Mediterranean, Türkiye and West Africa, including direct connections from Damietta and Valencia to major West African ports. Damietta will also provide connections with other Hapag-Lloyd services calling at the Egyptian port.

The revised WAX rotation is Damietta – Izmit – Gemlik – Istanbul – Valencia – Tangier – Lagos (Tincan/Apapa) – Onne – Cotonou – Tema – Lomé – Tangier – Barcelona – Damietta. It also provides a direct Türkiye-Valencia connection.

The first announced sailing under the revised rotation was Merkur Ocean, voyage 2639S, with arrival at Damietta scheduled for September 21.

Hapag-Lloyd said the network changes are intended to provide greater operational flexibility and improve schedule reliability, while the new feeder arrangement allows the carrier to retain Casablanca within its wider Mediterranean and West Africa network.

Source: Almal News

Shipping Arabia, September 23, 2026 – Damietta Port is nearing completion of a new 850-meter marine berth for dry bulk, fuel and grain cargoes, as the Egyptian port continues expanding its handling and storage capacity.

The project is being implemented by Canal Company for Ports and Large Projects at an estimated cost of EGP 6 billion (around $125 million) and forms part of Damietta Port Authority’s wider infrastructure development programme.

The new berth is intended to increase capacity for grain handling and storage, while also accommodating dry bulk and fuel cargoes. Electrical infrastructure for the project is now moving into its next stage, with installation and connection works expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Damietta Port Authority has tendered the supply and installation of a new electricity source for the grain terminal, with the electrical works expected to cost around EGP 25 million.

Alongside the berth development, the authority is progressing several infrastructure and operational projects across the port, including maintenance of its medium-voltage electricity network and plans for the port’s first solar power station.

Damietta is also moving to modernize cargo truck weighing operations within the customs area. A project covering a 750-square-meter facility will develop, manage and operate an electronic weighbridge system for loaded and empty cargo trucks, incorporating two platforms with a minimum capacity of 200 tonnes each under a Green & Smart operating model.

The projects form part of wider efforts to expand Damietta’s cargo-handling infrastructure and improve the port’s capacity and competitiveness across containerized, bulk and general cargo trades.

Source: Almal News

Shipping Arabia, September 22, 2026 – Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) became the largest container carrier operating through Damietta Port in 2025, handling 29.3% of the port’s container traffic as transshipment remained a major component of carrier volumes.

According to the latest Damietta Port Authority statistics, MSC handled approximately 375,800 TEUs, with transshipment accounting for 71.7% of its traffic through the port. The carrier had handled around 210,300 TEUs in 2024.

Yang Ming ranked second, accounting for 18.5% of Damietta’s container activity with approximately 236,800 TEUs. Unlike several other major carriers, foreign trade imports and exports represented 51.3% of Yang Ming’s traffic through the port.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) followed with a 9.4% share and approximately 120,000 TEUs, of which 61.9% was transshipment cargo. ONE had handled around 261,300 TEUs in 2024, when it accounted for 18.4% of the port’s container traffic.

Hapag-Lloyd recorded a particularly sharp shift, handling approximately 65,900 TEUs, equivalent to 5.1% of Damietta’s container activity, with transshipment representing 71% of its volume. In 2024, the carrier had handled around 454,700 TEUs and accounted for 32.1% of the port’s container traffic.

Other carriers serving Damietta included COSCO, CMA CGM, RCL and China Shipping.

Overall, Damietta received 1,007 containership calls in 2025, compared with 1,020 in 2024. Containerized cargo declined 6% to around 13.4 million tonnes, while throughput fell 10% to approximately 1.42 million TEUs, from 1.58 million TEUs a year earlier.

The figures highlight the importance of transshipment to Damietta’s container business, while also showing a significant redistribution of volumes among the major global carriers using the Egyptian Mediterranean gateway.

Source: Almal News

Shipping Arabia, September 20, 2026 – Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company is simultaneously handling four containerships involving 6,395 container moves, including two 368-meter Yang Ming mother vessels, highlighting the terminal’s capacity to manage large mainline ships alongside feeder operations.

The four vessels are being worked across the terminal’s container berths 1 to 6, which extend for a combined 1,450 meters.

Yang Ming’s YM Wellhead, measuring 368 meters with a draught of 15.8 meters, is alongside berths 1-2 for an operation involving 2,387 moves. Sister vessel YM Window, also 368 meters long and drawing 13.8 meters, is being handled at berths 2-3 with 2,386 moves.

The two mother vessels are operating alongside feeder services. Maersk’s 175-meter AS Sara is at berth 4 for 1,122 moves, while the 140-meter Jona Sophie, operated by United Feeder Services (UFS), is at berth 5 for a further 500 moves.

Together, the four operations represent 6,395 moves across the terminal, combining mainline and feeder activity within the same operational window.

Rear Adm. Dr. Rafik Galal, Executive Managing Director of Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company, said the dimensions of the vessels currently alongside remain below the terminal’s maximum operational capability.

The terminal has previously handled containerships approaching 400 meters in length with draughts of up to 16.10 meters, supported by berth development and deepening works and investment in additional ship-to-shore (STS) and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes.

Galal said the infrastructure and equipment programme is intended to improve handling efficiency and maintain the terminal’s ability to accommodate newer generations of ultra-large containerships.

The continued development forms part of Egypt’s wider port and logistics strategy, with Damietta strengthening its capacity to serve mainline and feeder networks in the Eastern Mediterranean and support growing transshipment activity.

Source: Damietta Container & Cargo Handling Company

Shipping Arabia, September 20, 2026 – Egypt is advancing a broad portfolio of port, terminal, ship repair and maritime infrastructure projects across the Mediterranean and Red Sea, as the country seeks to expand cargo-handling capacity and strengthen multimodal trade corridors linking its seaports with rail and inland logistics networks.

Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir reviewed the programme during the ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies of the Suez Canal Company for Marine Ports Development, attended by Suez Canal Authority Chairman and Managing Director Adm. Ossama Rabiee.

Company Chairman and Managing Director Maj. Gen. Mohamed Farag presented progress on projects including dredging, reclamation and berth construction for a dry bulk terminal at El-Max Port, reclamation works at Damietta Port and development of a cement plant at Arish Port.

The company is also involved in the Ferdan-Taba railway, a logistics terminal for handling raw materials and pellets at Adabiya, construction of an 850-meter marine berth covering a total area of 270,000 square meters, and reclamation works supporting the Tahya Misr 2 terminal.

Other projects include Taba Port, which forms part of the Arish-Taba logistics corridor, alongside dredging and reclamation for a ship repair and recycling area at Damietta and construction of the port’s 6,920-meter western breakwater.

El-Wazir called for the projects to remain on schedule while directing the company to expand into additional maritime infrastructure and operational activities.

He said the company’s future role should extend beyond port construction to the management, operation and maintenance of cargo, container and multipurpose terminals and marine berths inside and outside Egypt.

The strategy also calls for greater integration between maritime, road and rail transport, positioning port infrastructure as part of wider logistics corridors rather than standalone facilities.

El-Wazir described the company as a key arm of Egypt’s port development programme, with a larger role expected in expanding maritime capacity and strengthening the country’s position in regional and international trade.

Source: Ministry of Transport – Egypt