CAIRO - (September 17, 2003) This morning, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the River Transport Authority (RTA), an agency within the Egyptian Ministry of Transport, entered into a $257,000 grant agreement to partially fund a feasibility study on navigation and traffic management improvements for the Nile River between Cairo and Aswan. The Honorable C. David Welch, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, signed the grant agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government. Admiral Eng. Samir Tewfik Ibrahim, Chairman of RTA, signed on behalf of the Grantee.

Historically, river transport has played an important role in sustaining the Egyptian economy. Prior to the development of the Egyptian national highway network, commodities such as raw materials for industrial production, as well as agricultural goods, were transported on the Nile River. Maximizing river transport on the Nile River offers a number of advantages: 1) an environmentally-friendly means of transportation, 2) a reduction in road traffic and congestion and the increased safety, 3) fuel and maintenance savings, 4) a cost-effective means of transportation, 5) increased employment opportunities as river transport becomes available 24 hours per day, and 6) increased efficiency in transporting commodity cargo.

The USTDA-funded study will consist of data gathering, evaluation and recommendations for a Nile vessel traffic management information system. RTA has sought the expertise of Radar-Digital Systems, Inc. of Soquel, California, and Amreeka Development Corporation of Nashville, Tennessee, to conduct the feasibility study. In addition to the USTDA grant, Radar-Digital Systems, Inc. will provide additional resources toward the completion of the study.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

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