• Transport ministry issues call for interest for the VIC-MED project’s second phase

• AfDB provides $2 million to fund updated feasibility and technical studies

• Plan aims to build a multimodal corridor to boost trade and inland mobility

Egypt’s Transport Ministry has issued a call for expressions of interest for phase 2 of the Victoria–Mediterranean (VIC-MED) water corridor, a strategic project designed to link East Africa to the Mediterranean through an integrated river system, according to local media reports. This new stage is supported by a $2 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB), along with $100,000 from the Egyptian government.

The funds will support continued technical studies and the structuring of a future network of river ports across several governorates, intended for both cargo and passenger transport. Completed in July 2019 with $650,000 in AfDB financing, the first phase established the project’s legal and institutional framework and launched two regional river transport programs. The second phase, with a total cost of $11.7 million, will build on this foundation through updated feasibility studies and detailed technical assessments.

The project aims to create a multimodal logistics corridor capable of handling and shipping goods, including containers, using modern river units. The infrastructure is also expected to strengthen domestic mobility while boosting trade with countries bordering Lake Victoria. The initiative aligns with Egypt’s strategy to diversify its trade outlets and reinforce its role in intra-African commerce.

In 2023, Egypt ranked first in North Africa and third in Africa for intra-continental trade, according to Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2024. Its trade with the rest of the continent rose 10.8 %, reaching $8.3 billion that year. The government now aims for a 20 % increase in intra-African trade by 2029, with a goal of $145 billion in total trade by 2030.