EGYPT · ALEXANDRIA · PORTS
Key Facts
- —What happened Egypt’s Alexandria Port Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Xiamen C&D to develop a specialised dry bulk terminal at Al Max port, announced on 13 October.
- —The terminal Two main berths for very large cargo ships, storage yards, silos, a truck logistics centre and a rail link, so that the port can take three giant vessels at once.
- —The cargo Loose, dusty bulk cargo of the kind used by cement plants, steelworks and heavy industry.
- —What is missing No investment value, annual capacity, concession term or construction timetable has been published, and the memorandum is not a binding contract.
- —The bigger plan It is the first of four terminals under construction at Al Max, part of the Greater Alexandria Port project and the Sokhna to Alexandria logistics corridor.
- —US angle In August Egypt’s transport minister offered US companies the operation of a giant container terminal at Al Max, among other port projects.
Egypt has chosen a Chinese company to develop a specialised terminal for dusty bulk cargo at Al Max port in Alexandria, the transport ministry announced on 13 October. The Alexandria Port Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Xiamen C&D, a Shanghai-listed supply chain and property group, for what the ministry calls the first of four terminals under construction at Al Max.
For American readers the deal is a marker in the contest over who builds and runs ports on the Mediterranean, because Egypt pitched an Al Max container terminal to US companies only seven weeks earlier. No price, capacity or timetable has been published, and a memorandum of understanding is a statement of intent rather than a contract.
What Was Signed
Alexandria Port Authority chairman Ehab Salah signed for Egypt, and C&D’s managing director and chief executive, Lü Rongdian, signed for the company. Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir attended with Deputy Minister for Maritime Affairs Nehad Shaheen and Maritime Transport Sector head Hussein El-Geziry.
The terminal will handle what Egyptian officials call non-clean dry bulk, meaning loose and dusty cargo such as raw materials for cement and steel plants. The plan includes storage yards, silos and modern cargo-handling equipment, and a technical design with an environmental management system that the ministry says meets international standards.
Al-Wazir said the design has two main berths for very large cargo ships, so that the port can handle three giant vessels at the same time once the project is finished. The plan also covers upgraded marine berths, expandable storage areas, a logistics centre to ease truck traffic and better links to the national railway.
Why Egypt Wants It
The minister said the terminal should cut supply chain costs, speed up the movement of raw materials and finished goods, and help Egyptian exports, especially cement, steel and heavy industry. He also promised thousands of direct and indirect jobs during construction and operation, without giving a number.
The project sits inside the Greater Alexandria Port plan and the Sokhna to Alexandria logistics corridor, which connects Egypt’s Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna with its main Mediterranean port. The government presents it as part of Egypt Vision 2030, its long-term plan to make the country a regional hub for transport, logistics and transit trade.
Who Is Who
Xiamen C&D Inc. is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and is a core member of Xiamen C&D Corp., a Fortune Global 500 group from the Chinese port city of Xiamen. Lü said a visit to Egypt by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had drawn Chinese companies to the Egyptian market.
Kamel al-Wazir is Egypt’s transport minister and leads the government’s drive to expand its seaports and dry ports. The Alexandria Port Authority is the state body that runs the port of Alexandria, Egypt’s main gateway on the Mediterranean.
What It Means for US Readers
On 24 August al-Wazir met Mark Mitchell, a US deputy assistant secretary of commerce, and offered US companies the chance to manage, operate and maintain a giant container terminal at Al Max before handing it back to the state. He also pitched a general cargo terminal at Damietta, a commercial shipyard, an iron ore terminal at Adabiya, logistics zones and a role for US shipping lines.
Mitchell said Washington would coordinate with interested US companies to pick projects that suit both sides. Seven weeks later, the ministry signed a memorandum with a Chinese group for what it calls the first of four Al Max terminals, although the container terminal offered to US firms is a separate project.
For shippers and investors, the corridor matters because it is meant to give cargo a land route between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean alongside the Suez Canal. Egypt is courting both US and Chinese companies for the money and expertise to build it.
What Is Not Known
The ministry has not published the investment value, the terminal’s annual capacity, the length of any operating concession or a construction schedule. It has also not said whether C&D will finance, build or operate the terminal, or do all three.
A memorandum of understanding normally comes before a binding contract, and no contract has been announced. The statement also does not name the other three Al Max terminals or their operators.
What Comes Next
The two sides now have to turn the memorandum into a contract with financing and a timetable. Lü said C&D wants to move fast and sees the terminal as a starting point for other port terminals and for building commercial ships with Egypt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Egypt sign with C&D?
The Alexandria Port Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Xiamen C&D to develop a specialised terminal for dusty dry bulk cargo at Al Max port. The ministry calls it the first of four terminals under construction there.
How big is the Al Max terminal?
The design has two main berths for very large cargo ships, and the minister says the port will then handle three giant vessels at once. No tonnage, investment value or timetable has been published.
Why does this matter to the United States?
In August Egypt offered US companies the operation of a giant container terminal at Al Max and other port projects. The Chinese memorandum shows that Chinese companies are competing for work at the same port.
Is the deal final?
It is not final. A memorandum of understanding sets out intent, and no binding contract, price or construction date has been announced.
Sources: Al Borsa News, Alexandria Port Authority and C&D sign for Al Max dry bulk terminal, 13 October 2026 (Arabic), Amwal Al Ghad, Transport Ministry signs memorandum for Al Max dry bulk terminal, 13 October 2026 (Arabic), Daily News Egypt, Egypt signs MoU with China’s C&D for Al Max terminal, 13 October 2026, Al Borsa News, transport minister meets US deputy assistant secretary of commerce, 24 August 2026 (Arabic), Xiamen C&D Inc., company profile. All retrieved 14 October 2026. The three 13 October reports are based on the same Ministry of Transport statement, whose website could not be reached.
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