Egypt, Tanzania leaders discuss launching maritime route, agricultural reclamation project

CAIRO – 18 July 2026: The Egyptian and Tanzanian presidents discussed launching a maritime shipping route linking two of their ports as well as an agricultural reclamation project in Tanzania.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Tanzanian President Samia Hassan met in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, holding talks that reflected the two countries’ keenness to enhance their strategic relations, the Egyptian Presidency said.

Talks included boosting trade, fostering investments, exchanging expertise and launching development projects.

In a joint press conference with Hassan following their talks, El-Sisi said they discussed launching a maritime shipping route linking Egypt's Safaga Port and Tanzania's Dar es Salaam Port.

They also discussed establishing a multimodal corridor connecting Cairo and Dar es Salaam through a series of joint development projects, he said.

 

El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness to participate in the expansion and development of Dar es Salaam Port, stressing that the project should be integrated into a broader regional logistics network linking the port with Tanzania's neighboring countries.

El-Sisi said Egypt seeks to build on the success of Egyptian companies in constructing the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project by securing additional development projects in Tanzania.

He urged leveraging the expertise and assets accumulated by Egyptian firms in the country to deepen bilateral cooperation.

To support that goal, he said he has directed the intensification of Egyptian technical assistance, expertise transfer, and training programs to strengthen the capacities of Tanzanian national cadres across various sectors.

The two leaders also discussed launching an agricultural land reclamation project in Tanzania aimed at enhancing food security for both countries, El-Sisi said.

The project will seek to meet domestic demand for strategic crops, and eventually expand production for export, according to the Egyptian president.

The talks also focused on boosting economic cooperation, including increasing bilateral trade, encouraging investment, and expanding private-sector partnerships, El-Sisi noted.

According to Egypt's official statistics agency CAPMAS, bilateral trade between Egypt and Tanzania reached $12.3 million in the first quarter of 2026. Egyptian exports totaled $11.1 million, while imports from Tanzania stood at $1.2 million.

 

El-Sisi said he discussed with Hassan strengthening cooperation in construction, roads, maritime transport and ports, logistics zones, electricity and energy, agriculture, land reclamation, irrigation, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies.

He emphasized that the political will of both sides have advanced bilateral cooperation to unprecedented levels in recent years, adding that his talks with Hassan reflected the two countries' shared commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership.

During their meeting, the two presidents witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in transport, electricity, and renewable energy.