Egypt targets Tanzania farm ventures, logistics links and closer Nile coordination
CAIRO, July 20 — Egypt is looking to expand its economic footprint in Tanzania through farmland reclamation, new logistics links and infrastructure development, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said, as he urged stronger cooperation among Nile Basin states over shared water resources.
Addressing reporters alongside Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan during a visit to Dar es Salaam on Saturday, Sisi said the leaders agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership with joint initiatives spanning agriculture, transport, energy and infrastructure.
“We discussed opportunities to launch an agricultural land reclamation project in Tanzania to enhance food security for both countries and meet demand for strategic crops,” Sisi said. He added that the proposed venture could eventually be expanded to bolster exports.
The Egyptian presidency said the two leaders also oversaw the signing of memorandums of understanding in transport, electricity and renewable energy.
Sisi said Egypt stood ready to help expand the Port of Dar es Salaam. He also proposed a maritime route connecting Egypt’s Red Sea port of Safaga with Dar es Salaam, as well as a wider logistics corridor linking Cairo and Tanzania through regional infrastructure projects.
On regional water concerns, he emphasized the need to foster “mutual understanding and a spirit of cooperation” among Nile Basin countries.
Tanzania is among the 11 nations that share the Nile Basin, where the allocation of water remains a particularly sensitive matter for downstream Egypt.
Hassan used the visit to commend Egypt’s involvement in building the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, a 2,115-megawatt dam constructed by Egyptian companies under a contract signed in 2018. Sisi called the development a model for cooperation between African countries.
The presidents later joined a business forum attended by more than 35 Egyptian and 120 Tanzanian business representatives. Sisi said the gathering yielded “fruitful discussions” focused on increasing bilateral trade and investment.
Official Egyptian data showed that trade between the countries totaled $12.3 million in the first quarter of 2026, while Egyptian exports to Tanzania rose 3.2% compared with the same period.
AXADLETM
