Under the banner “Day of Loyalty and Honour”, Transport Minister Kamel El‑Wazir visited Damietta Port on Tuesday to inspect development projects and honour 74 leaders and workers for their role in containing the LNG vessel incident. He praised their professionalism, courage and dedication, describing them as role models for future generations in the ministry.
El‑Wazir stressed that human efficiency is the true measure of port development, noting that Damietta Port’s cargo throughput has surged to over 46 million tonnes annually, compared with 26 million tonnes before major upgrades.
During the ceremony, he highlighted the workers’ success in towing and securing the vessels under extreme risk, preventing damage to port facilities. He emphasised that President Abdel Fattah El‑Sisi’s directive to personally thank the port staff reflects national appreciation of their rare heroism.
The minister also reviewed Egypt’s unprecedented port development programme, including five new commercial ports to raise the total to 19, extending berths to more than 100 km, expanding port areas to 100 million m², and building 35 km of breakwaters. Plans also cover deepening navigation channels, expanding the tug fleet to 80 units, and developing Egypt’s merchant fleet to 40 ships by 2030 with a transport capacity of 30 million tonnes annually.
El‑Wazir inspected several projects at Damietta Port, including the Damietta–Trieste RoRo terminal, the new tug “Fahmy”, the Tahya Misr 1 container terminal, the grain terminal, and the multi‑purpose Tahya Misr 2 terminal. He confirmed that the port’s expansion aims to handle mega‑ships, enhance competitiveness and strengthen Egypt’s position as a regional logistics hub.
