EGYPT · ECONOMY
Key Facts
- The country Egypt, Africa’s third-largest economy, is building a land corridor from the Red Sea to central Africa.
- What happened Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir said Egypt is building a 370 km road on 4 November 2026.
- The route The road runs from East Oweinat toward the Libyan town of Kufra, about 230 miles.
- The goal It links Berenice, a Red Sea port, with Chad, Cameroon and the Atlantic coast.
- What is next Libya is to build about 300 km more inside its own territory, the minister said.
Egypt is building a 370-kilometer (about 230-mile) road from East Oweinat in its southwestern desert toward the Libyan town of Kufra, Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir said on Wednesday 4 November 2026. The road is part of a planned trade corridor that would join the Red Sea port of Berenice with landlocked countries in central Africa and, beyond them, the Atlantic Ocean.
For US readers, the project matters because it is a new overland route for goods that today travel by sea around Africa or through the Suez Canal. It is also part of Egypt’s push to expand trade with African markets.
What the Minister Said
Al-Wazir said the Egyptian road starts at East Oweinat, a farming area in the southwestern desert, and runs toward Kufra in southeastern Libya. He said Libya is building about 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) more inside its own territory to complete the link toward Chad.
From Chad the route would join the road network leading to Cameroon and its Atlantic port, he said. The minister described Cameroon’s port as an outlet that already handles goods for several landlocked countries, which is why the connection matters.
The Corridor From Berenice
The minister said the corridor begins at Berenice, an Egyptian port on the Red Sea, and passes through Aswan, Toshka and East Oweinat before reaching Chad. From there it would reach the landlocked states of central Africa, which have no coast of their own.
The minister stressed the links as a way to ease Egyptian exports to African markets and to import raw materials from them. He said roads are easier and quicker to build than railways for this link, because rail needs deep technical and geological studies and a rail network on the other side of every border.
Why Roads and Not Rail
Al-Wazir said Libya has no railway network, while Sudan has an old network that is hard to connect to Egypt’s own lines. For that reason, he said, Egypt is extending its rail lines only as far as Abu Hamad and Wadi Halfa in Sudan.
At that point a transfer station would move cargo between Egyptian and Sudanese trains with cranes. The minister called the development of road, sea and river links with African countries important for Egyptian exports.
What It Means for You
The corridor will not change shipping prices soon, because the road is still under construction and the Libyan section is not finished. If it works, it could give companies that trade with central Africa a second route that avoids the Red Sea and Suez Canal, where security worries have disrupted shipping in recent years.
US investors who follow Egypt should watch Berenice, the corridor’s Red Sea starting point. Travelers need not change plans, since the road is a freight project and the Libyan border area remains a security-sensitive zone.
What Is Not Known
The minister gave no completion date, cost or financing for the 370-kilometer Egyptian section in this statement. It is also not known when Libya will finish its stretch, or how the road will pass through the Chadian side.
The security situation along the Libyan and Chadian parts of the route remains uncertain, and no operator for Berenice’s new traffic has been named in this statement. We will update this story when the ministry or Libya’s authorities publish figures.
More: Egypt news in English, every day from The Rio Times. See also Egypt and the United States, explained and who runs Libya’s economy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Egypt Building Toward Libya?
Egypt is building a 370-kilometer road from East Oweinat toward Kufra in Libya, the transport minister said on 4 November 2026. It is meant to link the Red Sea port of Berenice with central Africa.
Where Will the Corridor End?
The route would reach Chad through Libya, then join roads to Cameroon and the Atlantic coast, according to the minister. Libya is building about 300 kilometers on its side, the minister said.
Why Is Egypt Not Using Rail?
The minister said roads are faster to build, because rail needs long geological studies and neighbors with rail networks. Libya has none, and Sudan’s old network is hard to link.
Sources: Ministry of Transport of Egypt, statements by Minister Kamel al-Wazir, 4 November 2026 (no public document online at the time of writing).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief