Cairo: Egypt is implementing an integrated plan to develop its maritime transport system and enhance the competitiveness of its ports by upgrading ports on the Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts and establishing new ones, the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) announced.According to State Information Service Egypt, in a series of infographics released on Thursday, August 27, 2026, the center said the port development plan includes the establishment of five new ports, alongside the development of existing facilities, bringing the total number of commercial ports to 19 and expanding their combined area to about 100 million square meters.By 2030, the plan aims to strengthen maritime transport capacity by operating 40 vessels across the 19-port network, with an annual transport capacity of up to 30 million tons, supporting foreign trade and enhancing the ports' ability to handle various types of cargo.As part of efforts to develop logistics services, the State is also working to transfo rm Egyptian ports into integrated logistics hubs linked to different transport networks, helping reduce cargo clearance and handling times and cut transport and logistics costs, while improving the efficiency of exports and imports.The plan also includes adding new berths with a combined targeted length of up to 70 km, as well as developing navigation barriers and expanding fleets of marine tugboats to improve operational efficiency and enable ports to handle expected growth in trade.The State is also placing increasing emphasis on the environmental dimension of maritime transport projects by implementing green shipping initiatives, expanding the use of clean energy, reducing carbon emissions and applying international environmental standards at ports.The efforts form part of an integrated vision to develop Egypt's maritime transport sector and maximize the country's strategic location on the Red Sea and Mediterranean, strengthening its role as a key hub for regional and international trade and supply c hains, while supporting the development of a more efficient and sustainable transport system.