Egypt enjoys a unique geographical location, thus, it has always been one of the main international trade passages between east and west. It was one of the world nations that knew navigation, ship building and also built and paved roads very early in history.

 

Egypt's railways are considered as one of the old track in the world since the inauguration of the first railway between Cairo and Alexandria in 1853. It was also among the first countries which paid attention to air transport where the first airline company was established in May 1932.

 

Egypt today enjoys a well and various transport networks, where the transport sector became the most vital one where it is closely related to comprehensive development in its broader sense, through which economic, urban and social requirements are transported from production to consumption areas to be one of the main underpinnings of infrastructure in Egypt.

Egypt's railways rank the first in Africa and Middle East and the second in the world next to British railways. It also plays a main role in the passenger and cargo transport across Egypt, therefore, the state has been keen to link all main ports to Egypt's railway network.

Egypt has 28 rail lines running over a length of about 9435km in 2004/05 through 760 passenger stations and operate 1800 trains on round trips at length of 135km, these led to rose the railways participation in transporting passengers to reach about 54,000 million passengers/km in 2004/05 against 17,903 million passengers/km in 1981 and 42,000 million tons/km in 2004/05 against 2307 tons/km in 1981.

 

In the framework of developing the Railways, trains and locomotives have been developed. Besides, 9 stations have been renewed and electronically equipped.

In addition to that, within a comprehensive plan to upgrade railways services, bridges were established over the railways in a number of governorates at a cost of LE 80 million. 

 

Egypt is the first country in Africa and The Middle East to implement the underground metro with investment cost amounting to LE 12 billion. It is considered one of the most significant civilized projects which links three governorates (Cairo-Giza-Qalyoubia). The metro transports 3 million passengers/day and its lines extend to a length of 64.6 km through two main lines:

- The first line: Helwan – Al-Marg with length of 43 km.

- The second line: Shubra al-Khaima –al-Munib with a length of 21.6 km.

In light of the importance of the underground metro and the necessity of continuing the implementation of its projects, the first phase for establishing the third line for the metro is implemented with a length of 4.3 km and a total cost of LE 3.6 billion.

 

Development of bridges network is one of the most significant projects supported by the State so as to bring about traffic flow. The number of bridges in Egypt reach 181 where 26 were built over the Nile. The year 2004 witnessed the inauguration of many bridges, salient of which:

It is the longest bridge across the Nile, linking the International Coastal road from the east towards the Canal and Sinai governorates and from the west towards Delta governorates.

Lies on the population area border of Sohage City, it brings about traffic flow between the two sections of the city and opens a new path for vehicles movement coming to it.

The first supervision car bridge across Suez Canal north of Al-Qantara Sharq, linking Africa to Asia and providing non-stop transport service for about 28,000 cars throughout the day.

An architecture masterpiece in its design, it lies across the Nile with a length of 980 m at a cost of LE 105 million. Due to it's active role in linking Aswan governorate to giant projects in toshka and New Valley, Aswan bridge won the first prize of the international competition for infrastructure project in Mexico in 2005.

It is a railway swing bridge across the Suez Canal, linking Africa to Asia. It also holds Al-Qantara Rafah/Al-Areesh with a length of 225 km.

It lies in Alexandria across the International Coastal Road, it has a unique design that is deemed to a square  for passing and exiting in every direction, thus contributing to bring about traffic flow.

Al-Azhar vehicular tunnels were opened in October 2001 with a length of 2.6km, costing LE 890 million actual traffic movement in both tunnels reaches about 15 million cars/year.

Egypt has a new and paved roads network which contribute to pushing the wheel of development from production areas to areas of supply. The last two decades witnessed a remarkable improvement in roads networks as their length increased to 47,000 km in 2005, thus, the number of passengers increased to 128,835 million passengers/km in 2005, also cargo movement rose to 43,880 million tons/km.

 

The Egyptian roads networks during 2005 were supported by many projects such as:

- Al – Qantara Sharq / Rafah road.

- Implementing the second phase of Aswan/Bernees road.

- Completing New Cairo/Aswan road.

- Finishing the duality of Ismailia road.

Besides, other important projects, salient of which:

 

It is the first of its kind in investment roads network according to international standards. It is the nucleus of network of freeways that link the Red Sea, Mediterranean and Upper Egypt.

 

It lies at Al-Torguman square on an area of 52,000 m², it was open in 2005 aiming to serve passengers from and towards all governorates and neighboring Arab countries.

Due to the traffic density on the agricultural road extending from Cairo to Aswan, the new desert road was established parallel to this road to bring about traffic flow on the old road.

 

The state is keen to achieve an optimal use of the River Nile to make transport movement easy through its navigational channels on sound economic and technical bases. The length of river transport network increased to 35,000 km through which 2486 million tons/km were transported in 2005.

 

1- East Aswan Port was established behind the High-Dam as a way to activate the integration between Egypt and Sudan.

2- Dredging the River Nile waterway in order to make it a secure passage for tourism and transport throughout 24 hours.

3- Developing ar-Rayyah al-Bahari / an-Nubarriya Canal with a cost of LE 8 million.

4- Establishing the new Delta Lock with a cost of LE 80 million and new Zifta Lock with a cost of LE 100 million.

 

Egyptian seaports are considered its window on the outside world and the vital artery which feeds all national economic sectors and affects foreign trade in all production sectors. Egypt has 40 seaports on the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and al-Aqaba Gulf. Within the framework of the continuous development witnessed by maritime transport, the seaports capacity increased to 66.8 million tons in 2004/05 and the number of quays rose to 175 which contributed to increase the number of passengers to the Egyptian seaports to 708,000 in the same year.

Also the number of the Egyptian fleet units rose to 135 ships with a total tonnage of 2 million tons. Thus, the cargo movement increased to 10,315,000 tons in the same year.

 

1- Developing Alexandria port: So as to develop the port and its infrastructure to occupy its international status on the Mediterranean Sea, the first stage of development works has been completed at a cost of LE 300 million along with establishing a new pivot to link the port to the bridge over the road of Burg el- Arab airport and the Coastal international road in Alexandria- As- saloum at a length of 32 km and a cost of LE 950 million.

2 - Inauguration of Damietta New Harbour:

It is linked by both the River Nile and railways besides the International Coastal Road which borders the harbour from east and west.

3- An Electronic System to Provide Security of the Transiting Ship in Suez Gulf:

3- Dekheila and al-Arish harbors were erected, besides completing phase I of East Port Said and Ain –as-Sokhna harbours.

 

Egypt has the first airline in the Arab region and the Middle East and became the main station for air transport between East and West in the last years. Egyptian airlines reach 72 cities and capitals around the world in addition to 12 Egyptian cities through 22 airports.

Air transport sector gains special attention that contributed to increasing the number of air crafts to 45 in 2004 against 17 in 1981 and increasing air traffic in Cairo Airport to 104,000 flights and 73,000 in remaining airports. In addition, passenger transport movement in Cairo International Airport increased to 10.8 million in 2004 and to 10 million in 2004 in remaining airports. Air cargo transport movement rose to 311.4 ton/km in million in 2004.

 

Within the framework of tourist promotion by air transport, 2004/05 witnessed the following development:

 

It is the area's most honored- time airport and Egypt's gate. Its development and modernization plan aims at scoring the aspired for- increase in the growing tourist movement.

1-Its departure halls were developed to raise their capacity of accommodation. They were provided with the most up-to-date technology system to render the best service to passengers in line with the international standards as the following:

- Departure Hall No.1 was renewed. Its facade was designed on the shape of a panorama before the runway and airplanes park.

 

- The third terminal at a cost of LE 2.1 billion was set up to accommodate about 11 million passengers. The building was provided with the state-of-the-art technologies.

-         In compliance with investment services, departure hall No.4 was established for those who want speedy and high-class service. The hall was dedicated to private airplanes against fees where all services similar to those in the other halls are available. The departure and arrival halls were set up on 4500 square meters to accommodate 180 passengers/hour. The hall was provided with means of communication, internet service and displaying screens.

2- A new runway and control tower at a cost of LE 480 million financed by the National Bank of Egypt are under construction at Cairo Airport.

 

Luxor airport reopened of the modernization works to be one of Egypt's best airports and match luxor's historical and civilized status. Its area was stretched to receive about 4000 passengers/hour. A new terminal and tarmc at a total cost of LE 450 million.

 

In February 2005, Sharm El Shikh International Airport opened after the renovation works as it was extended to accommodate 1800 passenger/hour at a cost of LE 415 million. A new terminal is under construction with object of accommodating 4000 passenger/hour.

 

Hurghada airport's terminal is currently extended and renovated at a cost of LE 47 million.

A new terminal at Borg al-Arab airport is under construction to accommodate 10000 passenger/hour at a cost of LE 438 million. Moreover, a tarmac and goods storehouse at a capacity of 5 tones is being built. 

 

A new system in the field of investment that enables the investor and the private sector in general, according to the agreement made between them and the state, to establish an airport by his own expense and administer it for a specific time as a usufruct which allow him to regain its cost, conditional that the airport would return to the state after completing the period of contract. Whereas the operating requirements, technical supervision and subsidies were observed through the Holding Company for Airports and Navigation under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Some Egyptian airports that work under this system, salient of which:

 

The foundation stone was laid in 1999. It was implemented on three phases, the first was completed in 2002 where the airport was opened for operation, the second in 2013 and the third in 2026. The initial cost was estimated by LE 120,00 million and the contract period reaches 40 years.

 

It was opened for active operation in October 2005 where the cabinet's approval was issued on August 16, 1998 to grant Kato Company for Investment the implementation of the Alamein Airport operation and establishment project according to B.O.T. system. The contract period reaches 40 years.

It is worth mentioning that both Bahareya Oasis and el-Farafra Airport are under construction according to this system. Besides Sohag and Ras Sidr Airports that are being introduced to the private sector investors at the present time to work according to the B.O.T.

 

* Inaugurating Luxor Airport after its development to become one of the best airports in Egypt in view of Luxor's distinguished historical and civilizational status. Its area increased to absorb 4000 passengers/hour.

* New Expansion at Sharm esh-Sheikh Airport. Its absorption capacity reaches 4 million passengers/year.

 

It links between the East and the West and plays a vital national and international role in boosting world trade since its official inauguration for navigation on November 17, 1869, where it absorbs 8 percent of world trade transiting through it. It is the longest navigational channel in the world (without locks). As the main source of foreign currency in Egypt, Suez Canal injects into the Egyptian treasury about $ 6 million every day.

 

Since the beginning of 1981 till the first half of 2005, Suez Canal growing revenues reached $ 41 billion, of which $ 3.29 million are achieved revenues during 2004 and $ 1.966 billion achieved during the first seven months of 2005.

Coping with the international navigational standards, several projects were implemented to develop Suez Canal and it is the matter which contribute to achieve the following:

1- Applying the electronic supervision and control system for navigation in Suez Canal as to be able to keep pace with the developed mechanism in the field of electronic navigation in the world.

2- Increasing the canal draft from 53 feet in 1981 to 62 feet in 2004; work is underway to reach 66 feet at the end of the 2002-2007 five years plan allowing the transit of Jumbo tankers loaded up to about 240,000 tons.

3- The number of ships crossing the Suez Canal recorded 419,532 ships during the period from 1981 till June 2005 with total net tonnage of about 10 million tons of which 17,334 ships with total net tonnage of about 647 million tons during 2004 in addition to about 10,341 ships with a total net tonnage of 376.5 million tons during the first seven months of 2005.

4- Expanding water section to 6750 m² during 2004. Besides, the implementation of a project to develop the navigational road has started by establishing the most recent by-pass between el-Qantara and el-Defreswar at a length of 28 km so as to contribute to increasing the length of the by-passes and double roads of the canal to 120 km. Hence, in the future it could accommodate giant carriers which are not easily accommodated in some international ports. 

 

Egypt's special concern with science and technology is not the product of today, its stems back to thousands of years ago when Egypt was a pioneer in inventing science and the various branches of knowledge. Mohammed Ali Pasha's experiment came to symbolize a unique example of comprehensive change on modern foundations.

 

With the emergence of July Revolution, the state then adopted a long-range industrialization programme that was concomitant to the establishment of the Supreme Council for Science in 1956 which was changed in 1971 to the Scientific Research and Technology Academy. This Academy shouldered the responsibility of drawing a technological policy for Egypt that expresses its aspirations and hopes in a technological revival to cope with the advanced states.

This can be achieved through programmes that extended from 1981 till March 2000. The academy finished its studies by issuing a modernization document for the technological policy in Egypt in light of an age where “Information” becames a main orientation and a tangible reality that Egypt is living nowadays.

 

In his address to the National Conference on Information Technology Development in 1999, President Mubarak introduced the national project for technological development. This project aims to make Egypt a producer of sophisticated technological components and main base for information industry. This could be realized through the full cooperation between state's organizations and private sector by launching a wide spread of national campaign for eliminating technological illiteracy in the society and enhancing the accessibility of computers in schools, universities and all governmental bodies.

 

The first specialized ministry concerned with information and telecommunication technology was established as a pioneer step in Egypt in 1999. This ministry, in spite of being new, succeeded to achieve a tangible technological development through a huge leap in the field of communications which lead to accommodate an advanced communication network that contributed to spreading computers and Internet services to all categories in the society, beside entrenching high-technology industries and boosting export-oriented industries to create large and new sources of national income.  

 

In this present period, the state supports the developing of communication and information services to provide job opportunities for youth by encouraging the international and domestic investments in communication and information technology to increase Egypt's share of global software exports. The number of operating ICT companies reached about 1959 till August 2005 against 266 in 1999 according to the investment law, also the number of ICT employees increased to 39150 till August 2005.

 

The technological revival and the huge revolution in the field of telecommunication in Egypt is described as “Express ways of information”. It also provides and spreads telecommunication services for all categories in the society through a strategy which shared to achieve a tangible leap in the telecommunication network.

 

Telephone service is widely spread all over Egypt where telephone density reached about 14.3 percent in 2005 and total telephone exchange capacity increased to 12.5 million lines in 2005 against 6.4 million lines in 1999. Number of fixed line subscribers increased to 10.2 million and also the number of telephone exchanges in villages rose to 1119 in 2005. In the course of these developments, Egypt witnessed the spread of cell phone service at a globally unprecedented rate through the increasing of cell phone users to reach 11.224 million in 2005. Incorporating the smart network system which provides ADSL service at a velocity of 6/5 –512KB/256 through seven companies is considered a new and important addition which contributed in offering more telephone services to the subscribers without charges.

 

On the path of the technological development, the number of Internet users increased to 5 million in 2005 against 300,000 in 1999, the international communication capacity through the Internet increased from 20 million pulse/second in 1999 to about 3.19 billion pulse/second in 2005 and the number of minutes in the free charge Internet rose to 1146.162 million till August 2005.

 

The E-Government is an advanced system that aims to promote the efficiency and quality performance of the economic and government bodies, companies and banks. This project, which started since 2001, aims at providing high-standard service to citizens and investors directly without bureaucratic hurdles by making the government services available as soon as needed to everybody wherever he is. A government portal on the Internet is being launched, allowing citizens to have certain transactions processed.

 

Egypt took a pioneering step by entering into the information age in order to build up a knowledge-based modern society that efficiently and actively keeps pace with the requirements of modern age and the challenges of future industry.

 

Within the framework of state's concern in increasing the societal awareness of information technology and providing computers and Internet to all categories in the society, a number of 1244 information technology clubs were built in 2005 against 30 clubs in 1999. These clubs are an open place for all citizens within youth centers, public libraries, non-governmental organization buildings, cultural palaces, schools and universities. These clubs are equipped with computer network connected with the Internet (about 10 to 20 computers for each club), aiming to provide this service for youth and children with supported price in all cities and centers.

 

It is the first distinguished technological village that attracts foreign investments to enhance software industries and Internet services, in addition to assembling PCs and peripherals. It is a great step to cross the digital gap and overcome the technological obstacles by providing an active technological infrastructure. At the same time, it is the bases of a promising industries that contributes to exporting raw materials in cooperation with the international companies, thus putting Egypt on the map of the exporting countries for software and computer components worldwide.

 

The Presidential Decree No. 355 of 2000 was issued to allocate land for establishing the smart village along Cairo- Alexandria highway at Abu Rawash. The project is based on three phases and by the beginning of 2007 with a capital of LE 100 million, of which the private sector contributes LE 80 million. The first phase of the smart village was opened in September 2003. It comprises the most important building; Telecommunication Centre, Businessmen Services Centre, Conferences Centre and technological nurseries building which sponsors young investors in the field of technology to support and develop their business. The second phase of this distinguished village is underway.

 

The encouraging Egyptian policy for foreign investments in the village has fruited in an increase of the number of operating companies from 20 to 85.

Moreover, five agreements with major international technology companies were signed, by virtue of such agreements the companies shall move their headquarters to the smart village in order to participate in building the Egyptian Knowledge society and benefit from the rapid advance in telecommunication and information technology market in the region.

 

It is a unique center established in the smart village in September 2004. It aims at raising public awareness of Egypt's cultural and natural heritage by submitting information technology tools in order to document this rich heritage of Egypt. It also aims to entrench and upgrade professional competences in the field of natural and cultural documentation by using state-of-the-art digital technology.

“Eternal Egypt” site on the Internet is one of ten distinguished programmes administrated by the center, these programmes are: Egypt's Archeological  Map, Egypt's Architectural Heritage, Egypt's Natural Heritage, Egypt's Popular Heritage, Egypt's Musical Heritage, Egypt's photographic Memory, Islamic Scientific Heritage, Manuscripts, Heritage Panorama and joint international projects.

 

Due to its distinguished role on the international arena, the cultural and Natural Heritage Documentation Centre, gains the UNESCO's Award for its role in preparing a file about “Helal's Biography”. This biography was added to the UNESCO's list for the international moral heritage.

 

The center participated in several exhibitions and conferences such as “The International Heritage Conference” held in Alexandria in cooperation with the UNESCO.

 

Postal service in Egypt has a long history dates to 2000 BC, at that time it was in its primitive form. Along ages, Egypt's Postal system has been steadily advancing till the Postal service was first established on January 1865. It was then attached to several ministries and finally to the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology in 1999.

 

Egypt was among 22 countries that shared in establishing the Universal Postal Union (UPU) after Bern Conference in 1874 and was chosen as a member in this union. It also shared with an active role in establishing the Arab Postal Union and the African Postal Union.

 

The subordination of the Postal Authority to the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology contributed in upgrading its services and introducing it with more efficiency and activity. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) was introduced, thus providing secure exchange of electronic documents among users through the central unit for communication ( EDI SWITCH). This contributes in using it in various applications of E- business, E- commerce and E-government systems.

 

The first phase of the project of creating a modern digital communication network for the Postal Authority was opened in 2003 with a total investment of LE 1 million as a new step to link all offices in Egypt together with the main centers. According to the world rating of the average mail transport time between Egypt and the outside world, Egypt was classified under the first category.

 

The National Postal Authority witnessed several achievements during 2004/05, salient of which: Number of post offices increased to 3475 against 3027 in 1999, number of express mail services outlets rose to 452 against 303 in 1999, besides the number of automated post offices increased to 325 against 17 in 1999 and savings in the Saving Fund increased from LE 8.4 billion in 1999 to LE 35.321 billion.