Blue economy & aquaculture in Egypt.

Blue economy & aquaculture

Egypt is Africa's leading aquaculture producer. In 2024, it farmed 1.6 million tonnes of fish—67 percent of the continent's aquaculture output—and generated $3.5 billion in value. Tilapia comprises 75 percent of that production; Egypt is the world's second-largest tilapia farmer. Roughly 300,000 people work in the sector. The Red Sea and Mediterranean support modest artisanal fleets, but 80 percent of Egyptian fish production is farmed.

Feed inputs and fry sourcing remain import-dependent. Climate change—specifically Nile low-flow risk and Red Sea salinity shifts—poses secondary threats.

The Suez Canal is Egypt's maritime cornerstone. In the first quarter of 2026, 1,315 vessels transited, generating $449 million in revenue. Port infrastructure in Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, and Damietta handles container, breakbulk, and RoRo cargo. Offshore wind is nascent; Egypt targeted 42 percent renewables by 2030, but that is mostly onshore solar.

Blue economy and oil-and-gas operate in separate lanes in Egypt. Aquaculture is a food-security lever, not an offshore-service ecosystem. Decommissioning potential exists for mature offshore Nile Delta platforms, but no commercial subsea-service corridor has yet formed.

The blue economy is a conversation for future expansion, not a near-term driver.