Shipping Arabia, May 15, 2026 – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed the existing investment cooperation between Egypt and France’s CMA CGM Group, one of the world’s leading container shipping and maritime transport companies, during a meeting with the group’s Chairman Rodolphe Saadé on the sidelines of the Africa-France Summit in Nairobi.
The meeting focused on ways to expand cooperation in support of economic integration and trade exchange between Egypt and African countries, while strengthening maritime connectivity across the continent.
President El-Sisi praised CMA CGM’s role in implementing several projects in Egypt’s maritime and dry ports sector, highlighting in particular the company’s contribution to the development and operation of Egypt’s first semi-automated container terminal, the Red Sea Container Terminal at Sokhna Port.
He emphasized Egypt’s interest in further expanding the company’s activities and investments, particularly within the Suez Canal Economic Zone, where new investment incentives and major upgrades in maritime transport and infrastructure provide significant opportunities for global operators.
For his part, Saadé reaffirmed CMA CGM’s commitment to strengthening its presence in Egypt, noting the country’s strategic location and the substantial progress achieved in maritime transport, shipping capabilities and related logistics services.
The discussions also addressed the impact of current regional tensions on maritime routes. President El-Sisi underlined Egypt’s view that international shipping stakeholders must work together to address bottlenecks and reduce their impact on global trade and supply chain stability, particularly in the energy and food security sectors.
Source: Alborsa News
Supply Chain
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Egypt Seeks Expanded CMA CGM Investment in Suez Canal Economic Zone
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Damietta Port Handles 300 Vessels and 4.75 Million Tons of Cargo in April
Shipping Arabia, May 17, 2026 – Damietta Port recorded strong operational growth in April 2026, handling about 300 vessels compared with 296 vessels in the same month last year, a 1% increase.
The vessel calls included 29 general cargo ships, down 50% from 58 ships in April 2025, while dry bulk vessels rose 11% to 102 ships compared with 92 a year earlier. Liquid bulk vessels increased sharply to 20 ships, up 122% from nine vessels, while container ship calls reached 104, compared with 91 in April 2025, a 14% rise. Ro-Ro vessels increased to five from four, while service and frequent-call vessels declined 5% to 40 ships.
Total cargo throughput reached 4.75 million tons in April, compared with 3.2 million tons during the same month of 2025, marking a 46% increase.
The cargo mix included 315,000 tons of conventional cargo, down 46% from 585,000 tons last year. Dry bulk cargo rose 73% to 2.5 million tons, compared with 1.4 million tons in April 2025, while liquid bulk volumes increased 179% to 300,000 tons from 107,000 tons. Ro-Ro cargo also recorded strong growth, reaching 23,900 tons compared with 6,200 tons, an increase of 285%.
Containerized cargo volumes reached 1.6 million tons, compared with 1.11 million tons in April 2025, reflecting a 44% increase.
In terms of container units, Damietta Port handled 155,800 containers during April, up 12% from 138,700 containers in the same month last year. Import containers rose 23% to 74,400 units, while export containers increased to 72,100 from 60,900 in April 2025. Additional container movements declined 47% to 9,200 units, compared with 17,500 a year earlier.
The figures reflect continued momentum in Damietta Port’s dry bulk, liquid bulk, container and Ro-Ro operations, reinforcing its position as one of Egypt’s key maritime gateways for regional and international trade.
Source: Almal News