Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, participated on Tuesday in the opening of the “Global Rail 2025” conference and exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, under the theme “Leading the Future of Transport and Enhancing Global Connectivity,” with broad regional and international participation, including over 20 ministerial delegations and senior leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as speakers and participants from more than 100 nationalities.

The minister also took part in the first ministerial session of the event titled “Sequential Borders – Transport Chain as a Catalyst for Regional Integration,” attended by ministers of transport from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan.

In his speech, Kamel El-Wazir expressed his happiness to participate in this important event organized by the UAE, emphasizing the deep relations between Egypt and the UAE at the political leadership, government, and peoples’ levels. He discussed ways to transform transport connectivity from a national priority into a shared regional ambition supporting long-term prosperity, highlighting that transport linkage is inherently a cross-border project requiring cooperative vision based on three pillars: joint planning and integration of visions, policy and procedural alignment, and partnership in financing and management.

He pointed out the importance of the Suez Canal as a global waterway, noting that after the opening of the new canal in 2015, its capacity was doubled with the ability to accommodate giant ships passing in both directions.

The minister explained that the biggest challenge to smooth regional transport is not the lack or weakness of infrastructure but the disparity in policies, regulations, and standards. He summarized urgent measures for alignment in four main points: unifying technical and operational standards, simplifying customs procedures across borders, adopting digital transformation and smart operations, and establishing permanent regional coordination frameworks such as ministerial committees or joint authorities focused on policy unification in transport.

Regarding strategic investment options, he stated that with many competing priorities and limited resources, investment decisions should be based on a clear mix of economic and regional impact, selecting corridors and modes that yield quick regional returns while opening the door for significant future investments. He proposed adopting an objective methodology for selecting transport corridors including practical assessment of regional impact, readiness for implementation, and financing feasibility.

On seamless multimodal transport, he emphasized the necessity of linking railways, roads, ports, and airports to reduce bottlenecks and create true multimodal corridors. Under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives, Egypt has implemented seven integrated international logistic corridors connecting production areas with seaports via fast and safe transport means, dry ports, and integrated logistic zones.

Regarding trade empowerment and partnerships, the minister highlighted that transport networks are strategic links to deepen trade relations and enhance economic integration. Egypt is working to connect national logistic corridors with major regional and international corridors, reinforcing its role as a global transit hub linking key production and consumption centers worldwide.

On cross-border cooperation, he stressed that developing cross-border transport projects requires diverse cooperation forms to enhance success and sustainability, including regional alliances, strategic partnerships with the private sector, and partnerships with international financial and development institutions, aiming to build an integrated regional transport network making the region a global center for trade and logistics supporting long-term economic integration.