Egypt’s Minister of Transport, Kamel El‑Wazir, attended the handover of two new vessels, Wadi Al‑Nil and Wadi Al‑Qamar, from Chinese shipbuilder Hantong Shipyardduring his current visit to China.
The vessels were built as part of Egypt’s drive to modernise and strengthen its commercial fleet, enhancing competitiveness in regional and international markets. The move also supports the government’s plan to establish Egypt as a regional hub for transport, logistics and transit trade.
The handover ceremony was attended by Mohamed Soliman Metwally, Managing Director of the National Navigation Company (NNC), and Meng Chengjun, Chairman of Hantong Shipyard.
El‑Wazir said the delivery reflects the growing Egyptian‑Chinese strategic partnership, particularly in the transport sector. He highlighted cooperation in port development, logistics, railways, green mass transit, digital transformation, smart and green ports, shipbuilding and the expansion of Egypt’s commercial fleet.
Cooperation between NNC andHantong Shipyard began with the construction of the Kamsarmax dry bulk carrier Wadi Al‑Arish, delivered in January 2024.
In April 2024, contracts were signed for Wadi Al‑Nil and Wadi Al‑Qamar, each with a deadweight capacity of 82,000 tons. A further agreement in June 2025 secured two additional 82,000‑ton vessels, scheduled for delivery by the end of 2028, bringing the total under the cooperation programme to five.
El‑Wazir also called for accelerating the delivery of the 17th and 18th vessels, Wadi Al‑Natrun and Wadi Al‑Alaki, to 2027 instead of 2028. He proposed establishing a specialised shipyard in Egypt for commercial vessel repairs, modelled on Hantong Shipyard.
The minister stressed Egypt’s aim to expand its commercial fleet to 40 vessels by 2030, fully owned by companies affiliated with the Ministry of Transport, thereby strengthening capacity to carry a larger share of foreign trade and increasing the presence of Egyptian‑flagged vessels on international shipping routes.
Metwally said the delivery of the two vessels marks a new milestone in modernising NNC’s fleet and reflects its commitment to international standards. With their addition, the company’s fleet has grown to 16 vessels. Two more of the same type and size are scheduled for delivery in 2028, raising the modernisation rate of the owned fleet to around 54%.
Wadi Al‑Nil and Wadi Al‑Qamar are Kamsarmaxdry bulk carriers, each with a deadweight capacity of 82,000 tons, a length of 229 metres, a beam of 32.26 metres and a draft of 14.5 metres. Equipped with advanced technologies, they are designed to improve operational and fuel efficiency and rank among the newest vessels in Egypt’s commercial fleet.
