The Egyptian finance ministry has revealed that three international consortiums are competing to win a contract for the construction of a dry port, west Cairo, with investments expected to exceed USD 100 mn, Invest-Gate reports.

To be developed on nearly 100 acres in 6th of October City, the port will be a public-private partnership (PPP) between the General Authority for Ports and Dry Land (GALDP) and the winning consortium. It will be built “as a port for customs clearance of containers handled through the Alexandria and Dekheila ports, which will contribute to easing container traffic,” according to a ministerial statement on February 10.

The project encompasses cargo zones, customs clearance offices, and multipurpose storage facilities linked to key seaports. The three consortiums competing for the tender are from Germany, Singapore, India, the UAE, and Egypt, who are set to submit the technical and financial bids in May.

These consortiums are an alliance led by Container Corporation of India, which includes Hassan Allam Holding and Singapore’s PSA, an alliance led by UAE’s DP World in cooperation with the Holding Company for Land and Marine Transport, and an alliance led by Egypt-based Elsewedy Electric, which includes Schenker Egypt and Egypt-based 3A International.

Back in June 2018, the qualifying consortiums were first announced by Egypt’s Transport Minister Hisham Arafat, as part of the ministry’s efforts to develop the country’s land, sea, and rail transport systems, which serve the movement of people and goods, and gearing economic growth.