STORY: Egypt's coastal city gains fame in shipbuilding
DATELINE: Sept. 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:17
LOCATION: DAMIETTA, Egypt
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of workers building ships at a workshop along River Nile in Damietta Governorate, Egypt
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): AHMED AL-ETREBY, Owner of a shipbuilding workshop in Ezbet al-Borg
3. various of a shipbuilding workshop

STORYLINE:

Egypt's northern coastal city of Ezbet al-Borg, where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea, has been leading in shipbuilding in the country for decades.

Inheriting the craft from his forebears, Ahmed Al-Etreby highlighted shipbuilding as a time-honored industry deeply rooted in Egypt's history.

He noted that although shipbuilding is available in almost all Egyptian coastal cities, Ezbet al-Borg is unique for its high-standard manufacturing skills.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic): AHMED AL-ETREBY, Owner of a shipbuilding workshop in Ezbet al-Borg
"We inherited this profession from generation to generation. In the past, we only used wood to make ships. In recent years, we began to use other materials, such as fiberglass and fiber-coated wood, just like what European factories do, to keep pace with the development in this field."

In addition to building fishing boats for local fishermen, Al-Etreby said his workshops also make tourist yachts, which are exported to the European and Gulf countries.

In recent years, the Egyptian government has been exerting efforts to develop shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities, including investing in new infrastructure and attracting foreign investment.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damietta, Egypt.
(XHTV)