Rabie was received by Moustafa El-Degeishi, Chairman of the Red Sea South Shipyard Company, along with several officials from both the SCA and the company. The visit is in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to localize maritime industries and boost partnerships with the private sector.
The visit aimed to conduct a periodic review of the progress
and updates on the construction of the "Azm" tugboats, specifically
the "Rastar 3200-W" model, which has a towing capacity of 90 tons.
These vessels are being built for the SCA. The inspection also covered the
progress on deep-sea fishing trawlers, which are being built with the latest
international technology.
The tour began with Rabie inspecting construction at the
yacht factory, a subsidiary of Egypt Yachts. He urged for an acceleration of
the remaining construction work and the simultaneous start of procurement for
the factory's equipment and machinery. The goal is to begin operations next
year.
Following this, Rabie was briefed on the latest developments
in the construction of the "Azm" tugboats. Work is underway to
complete eight out of a total of 10 tugboats for the SCA, after the delivery of
"Azm 1" and "Azm 2."
He also reviewed the progress on the deep-sea fishing
trawlers. The assembly of the metal hulls for four out of a total of 12
trawlers, similar to the "Rizq 1," is being carried out concurrently.
Rabie inspected the construction of several other marine
units, including a 38-meter-long tourist yacht with a unique design featuring a
main suite and four sub-cabins. He also saw two special-design wooden and
fiberglass launches that will be used for maritime tourism in the Suez Canal.
The tour also covered new expansions at the Red Sea South
Shipyard Company, where Rabie inspected the construction of a new three-story
administrative building and a paint factory spanning 6,000 square meters. He
also reviewed expansion work in the shipyard's main yard.
Rabie stressed that the Egypt Factory for Tugboat Building
is a successful model of partnership with the private sector and a joint
national effort to localize the manufacturing of various marine units. He added
that the factory aims to meet domestic market needs and create job
opportunities for youth.
He explained that the factory seeks to achieve the
"difficult equation" of building marine units with world-class
quality at competitive prices and in a record time. This, he noted, will help
open new export markets and attract foreign currency.
For his part, Mustafa El-Degeishi said that the construction
of the "Azm" tugboats is proceeding at a rapid pace and according to
the set timeline. The launching of "Azm 3" and "Azm 4" is
scheduled for early October.
El-Degeishi also pointed out that the construction of the
deep-sea fishing trawlers is making significant progress. The first two
trawlers are set to be launched in December, with a new trawler to follow every
four months.
He added that the "Rizq 1" trawler is preparing for its maiden fishing voyage in international waters after an agreement with the Irish company Atlantic Dawn Group to catch 4,000 tons of surface fish in the West Australia region.