Monday, 25 May 2026
Egypt, Bahrain to boost bilateral transport cooperation at Global Rail 2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE – During his participation in the Global Rail 2025 exhibition and conference in Abu Dhabi, themed "Leading the Future of Transport and Enhancing Global Connectivity," Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Lt. Gen. Eng. Kamel El-Wazir, met with Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Minister of Transport, Communications, and Maritime Affairs.
The meeting focused on strengthening joint cooperation between Egypt and Bahrain across various transport sectors. In his opening remarks, Lt. Gen. El-Wazir emphasized the deep-rooted relations between the two nations and their mutual commitment to expanding collaboration. The Bahraini minister praised Egypt's monumental achievements under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, particularly in railways, roads, bridges, electric traction projects, maritime ports, and infrastructure development. He highlighted Egypt's road network expansion as an inspiring model for the region.
Lt. Gen. El-Wazir affirmed Egypt's readiness, along with its national companies that have executed mega-projects domestically and abroad, to undertake initiatives in Bahrain with top-quality standards, swift timelines, and competitive pricing—bolstered by the strong ties between the two countries.
The discussion spotlighted Egypt's electric traction projects, including the High-Speed Electric Train Network, Light Rail Transit (LRT), Cairo Metro expansion, and the Monorail (East/West Nile). These efforts align with President El-Sisi's vision to position Egypt as a regional industrial hub through localizing industries, especially in transport.
A key highlight was the ongoing establishment of Alstom's massive industrial complex in Borg El Arab City, Alexandria, in partnership with the French company Alstom. Spanning 40 feddans (about 41 acres), the complex features two giant factories marking a pivotal shift in localizing Egypt's railway manufacturing:
- Factory 1 (13 feddans): Produces electrical systems and railway components (signals, control panels, wiring harnesses, etc.), creating 700 direct jobs plus indirect opportunities.
- Factory 2 (27 feddans): Manufactures all types of rolling stock (metro, LRT, monorail, high-speed trains, etc.), generating 250 direct jobs plus indirect ones.
The meeting also delved into Egypt's Monorail project (East/West Nile), where national companies are constructing pillars, foundations, concrete girders, and structures. Described as a major civilizational leap in mass transit, the monorail is ideal for areas unsuitable for traditional metro lines. Its advantages include implementation in narrow, congested streets with sharp curves, minimal infrastructure disruptions, elevated tracks on the central island that preserve street traffic, and eco-friendly features like reduced fuel consumption, lower pollution, and alleviation of traffic congestion—encouraging shifts from private vehicles to public transport.
Both sides agreed to intensify expert meetings in the coming period to finalize cooperation avenues in diverse transport fields.