The events of the Blue Economy Conference “Opportunities for Sustainable Development” were launched, organized by the Universities of Mansoura and Port Said, on April 22-23, 2024, in cooperation with civil society institutions, represented by the Egyptian Maritime Salon and the Arab Transport Association.

In the presence of Prof. Essam Sharaf, former Prime Minister of Egypt, Admiral Mohab Mameesh, Advisor to the President of the Republic for Ports and the Suez Canal Axis and former Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Prof. Cherif Youssef Khater, President of Mansoura University, Prof. Ahmed Gamal El Din Moussa, former Minister of Education and Higher Education, former governors of Alexandria and Beheira, members of the Egyptian Maritime Salon and the Arab Scientific Society for Transport, the vice presidents of Mansoura and Port Said universities, the advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Prof. Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Latif, former assistant minister of antiquities and head of the organizing committee, deans and vice deans of faculties, secretary general of the university, faculty members and students.

Prof. Cherif Youssef Khater said that the blue economy means good management of water resources, reliance on the seas and oceans for sustainable development, eradicating poverty, and achieving self-sufficiency in food. It relates to the sustainable use and preservation of water resources, which are the seas, oceans, and rivers, with the aim of directing economic growth, improving livelihoods, and creating opportunities, working with respect for the environment, cultural values and biodiversity. Egypt is striving for this under the directives of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, which is included in the State Plan 2030. He pointed out that the activities of the blue economy are numerous and very important to advance the national economy because they include generating electricity from water energy, mining activities, marine tourism, fishing, and marine creatures, extracting raw materials from the seas and other types of economic activity mainly related to water.

From this standpoint, there was a sense of responsibility on the part of Mansoura University, as one of the Egyptian universities that includes an elite group of scientists in all fields. The university has adopted the provision of accurate scientific contributions through specialized researchers to cover all scientific fields related to the blue economy and to reach positive recommendations and submit them to decision makers for guidance in The Egyptian state plans to participate in building a national strategy for the blue economy to advance development.

Admiral Mohab Mameesh pointed out during his speech that Mansoura University is a source of strong science in Egypt, and that it is a first-class water and maritime country that Allah endowed with the Mediterranean and Red Seas and the Suez Canal, and for this reason it is necessary to paying attention to the seas and the environment, and during the era of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, seaports were developed and water resources were best exploited. He added that he presented the idea of dualizing the canal to His Excellency the President, which received great interest, who issued his instructions to implement the dualization of the canal with Egyptian hands rallying around one goal, the completion of the new Suez Canal. The Egyptian people financed the canal project, and it was implemented with pure Egyptian will in one year and opened in 2015 to be the most important shipping lane as Egypt's gift to the world, making Egypt the strongest country in the region and proving that the Egyptians are capable and that better projects are coming with the help and will of the Egyptians.

Prof. Essam Sharaf expressed his great pleasure for his presence at Mansoura University and spoke about the fact that the blue economy is considered one of the strongest economies in the world and requires an action plan and a strong partner, and that the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes the Maritime Silk Road, is one of the important partnerships, and China is a strong partner in this field. Stressing that the world has become closely interconnected, and that the idea of joint development is extremely important and requires joint responsibility, and that any international collapse affects countries from a political, economic, and social perspective, including financial crises, wars, and epidemics. He added that conflicts must lead to the inevitability of a new world and globalization that believes in and embraces diversity and coexistence with difference. He described the Silk Road as an actual translation of Egyptian-Chinese relations and that the Belt Initiative, or the New Silk Road, can do a pivotal role in realizing the dream of a “new world” through the partnership between our deep civilizations based on understanding, interaction and positive cooperation between the various societal forces, government, private sector, and civil society institutions.

He added that the importance of the Belt Initiative comes from the willingness of a group of countries in the world, representing about two-thirds of its population and more than a third of the global economy, to participate in activating the historic initiative, which can be titled “Industry of Partnerships.” He explained that the “Belt and Road” initiative is not just a project, but rather it is in itself a concept of development and a global bridge that joins development gaps, connects cultures, revives ancient civilizations, and restores their historical role.