Active Participation of the Egyptian National Chapter of the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA) in the Community Dialogue Meeting on the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for Alexandria

Tuesday, 05 May 2026

Researcher Marwa Hafez, President of the Egyptian National Chapter of the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA) and expert in strategic studies, participated in the community dialogue meeting and central discussion session organized by the National Authority for Tunnels on the development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Alexandria (SUMP), with broad participation from stakeholders, experts, and representatives of civil society.
The meeting aimed to establish a long-term strategic vision for an integrated urban transport system in Alexandria that ensures efficiency, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion for all segments of society.
During her intervention in the Gender Workshop, Marwa Hafez emphasized that developing the urban transport system is no longer merely an engineering challenge, but a strategic necessity directly linked to national security, social stability, and improving the quality of life for Alexandria’s citizens.
Hafez presented a specialized working paper structured around four key pillars:

  • First: Establishing a multimodal transportation network linking the metro, tram, and monorail through a unified ticketing system and smart application to facilitate citizens’ journey planning.
  • Second: Adopting international standards to ensure stations and platforms are fully accessible for persons with disabilities, alongside introducing equipped “on-demand” transport services to guarantee access to essential facilities.
  • Third: Conducting comprehensive nighttime safety audits of transport networks, enhancing lighting and surveillance systems, and ensuring the active participation of female professionals, particularly planning engineers, throughout all implementation phases.
  • Fourth: Connecting industrial zones such as Borg El Arab and Merghem to the city center through rapid transit lines to reduce travel time and improve workforce efficiency.

 

Marwa Hafez also praised the National Authority for Tunnels for opening genuine channels of dialogue with civil society, stressing that Alexandria possesses the potential to become a global model for green mobility through smart parking management policies and the promotion of cycling and pedestrian pathways along key corridors, particularly the Corniche Road and Abu Qir Street.
The meeting concluded by affirming that civil society recommendations will serve as a cornerstone during the current diagnostic phase of the study, paving the way for future implementation stages aimed at reducing traffic congestion and achieving environmental sustainability for the Bride of the Mediterranean.