A Greek maritime delegation held talks with the Alexandria Port Authority on proposed direct shipping links between Greece and Egypt, including a roll-on/roll-off passenger and truck service between Alexandria and Patras and a freight RoRo route between Alexandria and Volos. The discussions followed the third session of the Egyptian-Greek Joint Maritime Committee, held on October 5, 2026.
The Greek side was led by Manolis Koutoulakis, Secretary-General for Maritime Affairs and Ports at Greece’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, and included the heads of the ports of Patras and Volos, Greece’s Director-General of Customs, and a scientific adviser to the Secretary-General. Rear Admiral Ehab Salah, Chairman of the Alexandria Port Authority, received the delegation, while Rear Admiral Hussein El-Geziry, Head of Egypt’s Maritime Transport and Logistics Sector, chaired the Egyptian side at the preceding committee session.
Proposed Routes and Cargo Scope
The talks centered on establishing direct maritime links between the two countries, with the Alexandria–Patras service envisioned as a Ro-Pax operation carrying both passengers and trucks, while the Alexandria–Volos connection would focus on RoRo freight movement. The Greek delegation also expressed interest in expanding trade with Alexandria to include dry bulk cargo, broadening the scope of cooperation beyond passenger and vehicle transport.
Both sides agreed to hold further technical meetings bringing together specialists from Greece and Egypt to assess the operational, technical, commercial and logistics requirements of the proposed routes and determine next steps toward implementation. The approach mirrors earlier-stage discussions reported in January 2026, when Greece’s Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias met Egyptian transport representatives in Cairo, with the Patras Port Authority expected to sign a cooperation memorandum with maritime company Pan Marine.
Cruise Cooperation Also on Agenda
Beyond cargo and passenger ferry links, the delegations examined opportunities to coordinate cruise operations, with Egyptian and Greek ports potentially serving as cruise home ports in the Eastern Mediterranean. Joint programs aimed at increasing cruise traffic between the two countries were also discussed during the visit to Alexandria.
The cruise cooperation element builds on a broader push by both governments to position their Mediterranean ports as complementary hubs rather than competitors, leveraging geographic proximity and overlapping tourism seasons. Alexandria port, Egypt’s principal commercial harbor, already handles tanker, container, dry bulk, breakbulk and passenger traffic across its east and west harbors, giving it existing infrastructure for expanded Ro-Pax and cruise calls.
Context and Next Steps
The October 5 committee session was the third of its kind between Egypt and Greece, following earlier rounds of maritime cooperation talks that have progressively moved from general institutional dialogue toward specific route proposals. Egypt’s Ministry of Transportation has separately signaled interest in a comparable Alexandria–Barcelona RoRo link, framing both initiatives as part of a wider strategy to position Alexandria as a logistics gateway between Europe and Africa.
No timeline, operating company or financing structure has yet been announced for either the Patras or Volos routes, and the parties characterized the next phase as technical assessment rather than firm commitment. The involvement of the Patras and Volos port authorities directly in the delegation signals that both Greek regional ports are positioning themselves for a role in any eventual service launch.
Why it matters
New direct Ro-Pax and RoRo connections between Greece and Egypt would open a fresh short-sea corridor in the Eastern Mediterranean, diversifying freight and passenger flows beyond existing Adriatic and Aegean routes. For Patras and Volos, inclusion in such links could boost port traffic and regional trade, while for Alexandria it supports Egypt’s ambition to expand its role as a logistics hub linking Europe and Africa. The talks also reflect a broader trend of bilateral port-to-port cooperation agreements being used to formalize new trade and tourism corridors across the Mediterranean.
Source: Port Technology International
