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Egypt is moving to convert its landmark hydropower success in Tanzania into a much broader economic footprint, with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan discussing a large-scale agricultural land reclamation project, a new maritime shipping route and expanded port cooperation during talks in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The two leaders witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding covering transport, electricity and renewable energy, according to the Egyptian presidency. At a joint press conference, Al-Sisi said discussions centred on increasing bilateral trade, encouraging mutual investment and expanding private-sector cooperation across construction, roads, maritime transport, ports, logistics, electricity, agriculture, irrigation, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, a sector spread that signals Egypt is positioning for a long-term commercial presence rather than a single flagship project.
Central to the talks was a proposed agricultural land reclamation project in Tanzania aimed at producing essential and strategic crops to strengthen food security in both countries. Al-Sisi said the project could roll out in successive phases, with the longer-term goal of producing surplus crops for export once domestic demand is met, a structure that mirrors Egypt’s own land reclamation playbook, now being exported as a bilateral development model.
On logistics, Al-Sisi expressed Egypt’s readiness to participate in expanding and developing the Port of Dar es Salaam as part of a broader regional logistics strategy aimed at strengthening connectivity with neighbouring countries and facilitating regional trade. The two leaders also discussed establishing a direct maritime shipping route linking Egypt’s Safaga Port with the Port of Dar es Salaam, alongside a multimodal transport corridor connecting Cairo and Dar es Salaam through a series of joint infrastructure projects, a corridor that, if realised, would materially shorten Egypt’s trade and logistics reach into East Africa.
Al-Sisi called on Egyptian companies to build on the experience and expertise gained during the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project by participating in further strategic development projects in Tanzania. Suluhu Hassan praised the dam as a successful model of Egyptian-Tanzanian cooperation contributing to development and shared prosperity, and reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Egypt as the country advances its Tanzania 2050 development vision. Al-Sisi also directed Egyptian institutions to expand technical assistance, knowledge transfer and capacity-building programmes for Tanzanian professionals across multiple sectors, signaling that Cairo is investing in the human capital pipeline alongside physical infrastructure.
The two presidents also exchanged views on cooperation among Nile Basin countries, with Al-Sisi expressing Egypt’s hope that Tanzania would continue playing a constructive role in promoting dialogue and mutual understanding among basin states, a subject with obvious sensitivity given Egypt’s long-running water security concerns. Talks additionally covered developments in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, with both leaders agreeing to maintain close consultations on regional and international issues and to strengthen joint African action on shared challenges. The visit fits a clear pattern in Egypt’s broader Africa strategy of expanding the footprint of Egyptian companies across East Africa, deepening trade and transport links with the region and using flagship projects like the Julius Nyerere dam as proof points to unlock the next wave of bilateral economic cooperation.
