Construction is now formally underway on one of Egypt’s most significant inland logistics projects. On April 8, EDECS, the regional engineering and contracting group, and MEDLOG, the global logistics arm of the MSC Group, held a signing ceremony in Cairo to execute the design-and-build contract that moves the 10th of Ramadan City Dry Port from approved project to active construction mandate.
From Approval to Execution
The project has been years in the making. In January 2025, Egypt’s General Authority for Land and Dry Ports awarded MEDLOG a public-private partnership contract, beating four international consortiums in a competitive global tender, covering the financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the dry port and logistics zone. Egypt’s Cabinet followed by granting the project a golden licence in January 2026 under the country’s Investment Law, fast-tracking permits and approvals. The April 8 ceremony marks the next critical step: the formal appointment of EDECS as EPC contractor and the beginning of physical delivery.
What Is Being Built
Spanning 189,000 square metres, the facility will be delivered under a design-and-build contract covering engineering, procurement, and construction services. Key works include earthworks, paving, road marking, installation of essential utilities, and the development of critical port infrastructure.
The broader site, as established under the original PPP agreement, covers 250 acres divided into two zones: 130 acres for the dry port itself and 120 acres for an adjacent logistics area. The initial phase will support an annual capacity of 100,000 containers, handling goods across sectors including textiles, food products, electronics, auto parts, and non-hazardous construction materials. Commercial operations are targeted for early 2028.
Strategic Position
A dry port is an inland freight terminal that functions as an extension of a seaport, allowing cargo to be cleared, processed, and stored away from congested coastal facilities. The 10th of Ramadan City, one of Egypt’s most established industrial corridors, located approximately 60 kilometres northeast of Cairo, generates substantial freight volumes from its resident manufacturing base. A dry port here directly relieves pressure on Egypt’s seaports while shortening the logistics chain for inland industry.
The facility is slated to align with the launch of the Al-Rubiki–10th of Ramadan–Belbeis freight railway line, spanning 63.5 kilometres, which will connect the port to surrounding industrial zones. It will also enhance connectivity between Sokhna port on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean ports of Port Said, Damietta, and Alexandria.
The project aligns with the Ministry of Transport’s vision to establish a modern network of dry ports and logistics zones across the country. Egypt has set a target of 32 dry ports and seven integrated logistics corridors nationwide.
The Parties Executing the Work
EDECS brings three decades of EPC delivery across the Middle East and Africa. The company has delivered more than 10 kilometres of berths and over 3 million square metres of infrastructure works, maintaining a strong footprint across all of Egypt’s strategic ports.
MEDLOG is a logistics operator with global reach. Founded in 1988 and part of the MSC Group, MEDLOG operates in more than 90 countries, specialising in intermodal transportation, inland container yard operations, and value-added logistics services. MSC is the world’s largest container shipping line by fleet capacity. Under its 30-year concession, MEDLOG will finance, build, operate, and maintain the facility through its Egyptian subsidiary, with the government receiving 10% of annual cargo handling revenues plus a fixed fee of $1 million annually once commercial operations begin.
The Construction Standard
The facility is not a conventional warehousing build. It will integrate digital solutions, smart transport systems, and cutting-edge technologies to ensure seamless trade, reduce costs and risks, and minimise environmental impact.
Eng. Hussein El Dessouky, Chairman of EDECS, confirmed the execution mandate at the signing ceremony. “This partnership reflects a shared vision of creating world-class infrastructure that drives the region’s economic development. Together with MEDLOG, we are building a facility that will serve as a cornerstone for the region’s trade and logistics future,” he said.
What the EPC Award Signals
The appointment of EDECS and the execution of the construction contract is the moment a project converts from policy and paper into physical reality. For Egypt, it means one of its flagship private-sector logistics concessions is now in the ground. For MEDLOG, it is the first dry port it has developed in Egypt, extending the MSC Group’s supply chain infrastructure into one of Africa’s largest economies at a scale that will directly influence how freight moves between the country’s industrial heartland and its international trade gateways.
