The Egyptian Ministry of Transport announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at the IMO headquarters in London. This agreement aims to establish a regional IMO office in Egypt, which will be located within the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety.
The signing took place with Admiral Hussein Al-Jaziri, President of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety, representing the Minister of Transport, while the Head of the Technical Cooperation Sector of the IMO signed on behalf of the Secretary-General. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Ambassador Sherif Kamel, Egypt’s Ambassador to London, Admiral Reda Ahmed Ismail, Head of the Maritime Transport Sector, and Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the IMO.
The newly established office will coordinate with the IMO to implement technical cooperation activities aimed at Arab nations in the Middle East and North Africa. This initiative seeks to enhance maritime human resource capabilities in the region and develop effective professionals capable of applying the IMO’s regulatory instruments.
Egypt initially applied for the establishment of this office in 2019. After extensive efforts and close collaboration among various state departments, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian Embassy in London, approval was granted in 2022 during the 72nd session of the Technical Cooperation Committee. The decision was subsequently adopted by the IMO Council at its 128th session.
The International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations founded in 1958, is headquartered in London and operates five regional offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, the Philippines, and Trinidad and Tobago. It comprises 175 member states, three associate members, and over 145 observer organizations.
