A man works on building a ship at a workshop along the Nile River in Damietta Governorate， Egypt， Aug. 22， 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
DAMIETTA， Egypt， Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- In Egypt's northern coastal city of Ezbet al-Borg， where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea， dozens of workers were busy putting the final touches on a luxurious tourist boat before exporting it to Cyprus.
The city， located in Damietta Governorate， some 190 km north of the capital Cairo， has been leading shipbuilding in the North African country for decades.
Once you step into the workshops' area along the Nile， hundreds of under-construction boats and ships can be seen lined up with dozens of skilled laborers making up an anatomy of collaboration similar to an anthill or a beehive.
"This fancy yacht will sail to its owner in Cyprus in days ... it took us six months to build it，" Ahmed al-Etreby， owner of a shipbuilding workshop in the city， told Xinhua.
Inheriting the trade from his forebears， the man in his middle years highlighted shipbuilding as a time-honored industry deeply rooted in Egypt's history， with Ezbet al-Borg standing out of Egypt's shipbuilding cities as the prime hub.
A worker polishes a yacht under construction at a workshop along the Nile River in Damietta Governorate， Egypt， Aug. 22， 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
He revealed that the city is home to tens of workshops that build fishing and tourist boats of various kinds and sizes， in addition to medium-sized cargo and oil ships， noting that they also do ship repair and maintenance work.
In addition to building fishing boats for local fishermen， Al-Etreby said the workshops also make tourist yachts of all sizes for exports to countries such as Greece， Cyprus， Malaysia， Saudi Arabia， Kuwait， 青岛雅琪特纺织进出口有限公司 Tunisia， 增城市达地干果有限公司 Sudan，宁陵县利农酥梨种植专业合作社 and many other countries.
"Most of the ships built here are made of fiber-coated wood， 泉州市爱乐卫生用品有限公司 fiberglass， 萝岗区达大麻类有限公司 and steel， but buyers prefer those made of fiber-coated wood because they are cheaper and easier to repair，" al-Etreby said.
He explained that creating a ship involves a series of steps. It begins with designing the ship's structure and crafting the frame from iron or wood. After that， the ship's body is constructed， followed by the installation of the engine and tanks. The process continues with painting， setting up internal equipment， installing electrical systems， and concludes with testing work.
"Our skilled workers and the experience we have gained throughout history granted us a global position in shipbuilding ... ships， yachts and boats made in Ezbet al-Borg have set sail in oceans and seas around the globe，形体" al-Etreby proudly said as he carefully watched his workers testing the boat's electric network.
Workers work on building a ship at a workshop along the Nile River in Damietta Governorate， Egypt， Aug. 22， 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Al-Etreby noted that shipbuilding is almost available in all Egyptian coastal cities， "but Ezbet al-Borg is unique for its high-standard manufacturing skills and successful marketing methods."
"The industry brings in foreign currencies that would back the national economy，" he said.
Not far away from al-Etreby's workshop， Mohammed Abu-Ataia， owner of another shipyard， was giving instructions to his workers who just started to build a new 36-meter-long steel fishing vessel.
"Ezbet al-Borg can compete with European countries， although the workshops here still adopt some traditional manual methods，" Abu-Ataia said.
Abu-Ataia， whose family has been in this trade for decades， pointed out that the local shipbuilding industry is advancing and expanding. Shipbuilders are embracing new technologies， driving progress in the industry.
This photo taken on Aug. 22， 2023 shows ships under construction at a workshop along the Nile River in Damietta Governorate， Egypt. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
"The sea is a lifeline for the city's residents as most of them work in fishing-related jobs such as fishing， shipbuilding， and fish trade， which made the unemployment rate here close to zero，" Abu-Ataia said， noting that Ezbet al-Borg has the largest fishing fleet in Egypt， with thousands of fishermen working in the industry.
The 46-year-old man also expected the whole industry in Egypt will develop further as the country is working to localize and modernize the industry of shipbuilding.
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.
Meanwhile， Abu-Ataia said the business has slumped over the past two years due to the global economic recession， adding that the demand has declined because of the price hikes in raw materials used in the industry.
白羊座今日运势平平，你行事要大方、自信点，没什么好害怕的别担心。感情方面运势一般，亲密关系中合理表达诉求对方才会重视，发脾气提无礼要求没人会答应。事业方面运势普通，工作上既然已经接手了项目就得坚持做下去，没信心的话一开始就别做，现在叽叽歪歪什么意义都没有。财运方面运势稍弱，日常生活中不要入手自己不熟悉、不了解的项目为宜。健康方面运势平平，适当补充维生素即可。
"Like many other industries形体， we face challenges. However， the industry is expected to continue to grow，" Abu-Ataia said. "We will keep making ships and boats for local use and exportation as well. We will also help the government modernize and develop its ship fleet，" he added. ■
