Arab Finance: Egypt and France have signed an executive agreement for the €215 million Robbiki–10th of Ramadan–Belbeis railway line project, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron during his official visit to Cairo, as per a statement.

The agreement covers €70 million in credit facilities as part of the project’s €105 million foreign funding provided by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Meanwhile, the local contributions are to estimated at around €110 million.

Spanning 63.5 kilometers, the railway line will connect Robbiki station and Belbeis through the 10th of Ramadan City and its dry port.

It includes seven stations: Robbiki, Industrial Zone 1, Industrial Zone 2, Kilometer 14, the 10th of Ramadan interchange station connecting to the Cairo–New Capital LRT, the 10th of Ramadan dry port, and Belbeis.

Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir stated that the project includes an 18.5-kilometer link from the Cairo–Robbiki–Suez line to the dry port and logistics zone in the 10th of Ramadan City.

Another 45-kilometer extension will connect the dry port with the Benha–Zagazig–Ismailia–Port Said line at Belbeis.

Furthermore, the project will enhance connectivity between the dry port and logistics zone under construction in the 10th of Ramadan City and Egypt’s seaports, including Sokhna and Adabiya on the Red Sea, and Port Said, Damietta, Alexandria, and Dekheila on the Mediterranean.

This is expected to boost cargo flows and reduce port congestion, fines, and inflationary pressures caused by delayed goods.

The 10th of Ramadan City is the largest industrial hub in Egypt and the Middle East, housing nearly 2,996 factories with total investments of EGP 84 billion and an annual production of EGP 162 billion.

The city provides 500,000 jobs, with another 1,028 factories under construction, projected to add 87,000 job opportunities and EGP 8 billion in annual output. The new railway line will serve both freight and passengers.

El-Wazir noted that around 90% of workers in the industrial zone commute from Belbeis using unsafe transport.

The new line aims to improve commuting safety and efficiency while reducing road traffic, fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and road maintenance costs.

Alongside the executive agreement, a technical support grant for the project was also signed.

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