Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, U.A.E. Minister of State, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), accompanied by Army Major General El Arabi Al-Serwi, Governor of Suez, toured yesterday the GB Auto, a leading manufacturer of bus and commercial vehicles, and Ain Sokhna Port, managed by U.A.E. terminal operator DP World.
At the GB Auto facility, Al Jaber viewed the final model of buses which the U.A.E.
Project in Egypt will supply 600 of them to the Transport General Authority. 300 buses will be manufactured by U.A.E.-based bus manufacturers Hafilat Industries while the remaining 300 will be built by Egyptian auto importer and manufacturer Ghabbour Auto. The fleet will meet 30% of the public transport programme requirements of Greater Cairo and ease traffic movement.
Al Jaber said,' The U.A.E. leadership's instructions are to continue supporting Egypt and implementing development projects in consistence with specific time schedule and specifications that cater to Egyptian citizen's interest.' 'The important projects we saw today at Ain Sokhna confirm the availability of abundant promising opportunities which will enable Egypt to address challenges thanks to dedication and perseverance of its people to build their nation and its national economy as well as to its leadership's ambitious, constructive measures. We are confident that Egypt has tremendous abilities and that its people will work hard to realise stability, growth and progress.' For his part, Governor of Suez Major General El Arabi Al-Serwi expressed gratitude of Egyptian people to the U.A.E. for its generous support, which reflects the longstanding, solid rock bilateral ties.
The U.A.E. project in Egypt, he said would help the transport authority in Cairo to replace the long-serving public buses with new brand ones, ensuring high levels of safety and better services to passengers.
During the tour of the bus manufacturing plant, Chairman of GB Polo Buses Manufacturing Rauf Ghabbour, said in the first phase would see the delivery 300 buses in three batches from November 2014 to January 2015.
The delegation also toured DP World Sokhna Port where they were briefed by Ibrahim Alhammadi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, DP World at DP World Sokhna on future expansion plans.
The width of the access channel is 350m, sufficient for double-lane navigation. The harbour basin has a depth of 17m, sufficient for container vessels exceeding 8,000 TEU and bulk carries of up to 150,000 DWT.
In addition to expanding its facilities, DP World Sokhna aims to attract further industries to be located at the port.
By 2020 DP World Sokhna plans to develop into an administrative and management nodal-centre, acting as a hub for product transport chains. The port will provide all the necessary and most modern infrastructure, facilities and services. In addition to the most advanced information and communications systems required to guide the most efficient flow of goods, Alhammadi said.
The port project, he added, would generate 1102 direct job opportunities and another 465 indirect jobs.
Source: WAM