Antwerp: Europe and the Arabs
In the context of strengthening economic and trade relations between Egypt and Belgium, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Belgium, paid a field visit to the Port of Antwerp, the second largest European port, with the participation of Dr. Rasha Galal, Head of the Commercial Office at the Embassy.
According to a statement on the Embassy's website on social media, the Egyptian Ambassador met during the visit with "Christoph Waterschoot", Director of the Port of Antwerp, where they discussed ways of cooperation in developing Egyptian ports and enhancing partnership in the fields of maritime transport and logistics services, in addition to following up on the developments of the Gergoub project in the west of the country to produce and export green hydrogen to Europe.
During the visit, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid toured to see the progress of work and services provided at the European port. Abu Zeid also reviewed the efforts of the Egyptian state in developing the maritime transport sector and port infrastructure, in light of Egypt's ambitious strategy to transform into a regional center for trade and logistics services. He also discussed Egyptian efforts in the field of green transformation and expanding reliance on green energy, highlighting the pioneering role played by Egyptian industrial zones in this regard. The two sides discussed opportunities to transfer Belgian expertise in port management and operation to Egypt, and to benefit from modern technology in improving the efficiency of port management, taking advantage of river transport capabilities, and enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian ports at the international level.

For his part, the Director of the Port of Antwerp expressed his interest in enhancing cooperation with the Egyptian side, praising the developments witnessed by Egyptian ports, in addition to discussing joint investment opportunities in port infrastructure projects.

The meeting comes within the framework of ongoing efforts to enhance economic cooperation between Egypt and Belgium, as the Port of Antwerp is one of the pivotal ports in Europe, and has advanced expertise in the fields of port management and operation, which opens up broad horizons for the exchange of knowledge and investment in this vital sector.