With support from the EBRD’s Women in Business programme and its donors, one of the leading logistics providers in Egypt is charting a bold new course. Egytrans, a company with more than five decades of experience, has expanded its footprint, diversified its services and embraced sustainability under its new leadership. Its success has seen CEO Abir Leheta recognised as one of the Forbes Middle East 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2025.

Founded as a family business, Egytrans has long been regarded as a centre of excellence, training generations of logistics professionals. Today, it has grown into a one-stop shop for integrated transport solutions, offering services from freight forwarding to project logistics. Its recent milestones include the acquisition of NOSCO Egypt and the opening of its first Egytrans Arabia branch in Saudi Arabia, bringing the company’s overall headcount from 350 to 1,000.Abir joined the company in 1996 as Head of Software Development and steadily advanced through a series of managerial and executive roles. In 2015, following the sudden passing of her brother, she stepped up to assume his former role as CEO.

Abir describes her leadership style as collaborative and diplomatic, rooted in listening and teamwork, but has also learned to balance this with assertiveness. “It’s important to ask for help and support, and to build a network around you,” she says. “So many women think they need to be superwomen and do everything perfectly. But real success comes from working with smart people who can help drive things forward.” Her advice to other women entrepreneurs in male-dominated industries is clear: do not shy away from seeking support. “That’s not weakness, it’s strength.”

Egytrans is also positioning itself at the forefront of sustainability in logistics. With advisory support through the EBRD’s green advisory programme, the company developed its first carbon footprint report; a pioneering step in Egypt’s logistics sector. “As transport and logistics companies, we contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions,” Abir explains.

The company is also investing heavily in digital transformation. A new fully integrated IT system is being developed to streamline operations from customer management to transport logistics. At the same time, Egytrans strives to foster innovation and improve efficiency across the sector by launching initiatives including Logivators – an accelerator supporting logistics start-ups – and a joint venture with Nafith International, Jordan, to digitise freight flows in and out of Egyptian ports.