Khartoum, June 16, 2026 (SUNA) — Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Engineer Saif Al-Nasr Al-Tijani Haroun met Tuesday in his office with the Director General and Acting Minister of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Urban Development in Northern State, Engineer Mohamed Sayid Ahmed Fagiri to discuss infrastructure issues, the transport sector, and challenges facing development and service projects in the state.    The meeting addressed a number of issues related to national roads and transport projects in Northern State. The Minister stressed his ministry’s commitment to supporting development projects in Northern State and addressing the challenges facing the roads and transport sector, underscoring the importance of coordination between the federal and the state governments to advance development and service projects. For his part, the Acting Minister of Infrastructure and Urban Development in Northern State said the state’s national road network, which extends for about 1,900 kilometres, has been affected in recent periods by heavy rainfall, floods, and overloaded trucks, particularly on the Argeen–Dongola Road, resulting in damage and disruptions that require maintenance and rehabilitation work. He stressed the importance of activating and operating weighbridges on roads, particularly those in Wadi Halfa and Dongola, to reduce the impact of overloaded trucks and preserve the integrity of national roads as a key artery for development and economic activity. The meeting reviewed the status of several road projects in the state, including Dongola– Al-Dabbah, Halfa–Al-Selaim, and Halfa–Delgo roads, in addition to planned maintenance and rehabilitation works and proposed continental road projects, including the Argeen–Dongola–Al-Dabbah–Al-Multaga road, the road linking Kosti with South Sudan, and Al-Dabbah–Al Fashir road as a vital axis supporting development and trade exchange. The Acting Minister noted the growing economic role of Northern State, particularly in agricultural production, stressing that the development of road and transport networks is essential to supporting production and achieving sustainable development. The meeting also discussed the status of border crossings in the state, particularly Argeen and Ashkeit, and the need to develop and upgrade them to enhance efficiency and economic role, while addressing administrative challenges related to multiple operating entities, to ensure that resources are directed toward operation, maintenance, and development. The meeting further touched on the importance of the railway sector in Northern State as a vital component of the transport system, in addition to preparations for an upcoming high-level visit by an Egyptian delegation to discuss joint cooperation projects in the transport sector, within the framework of historical relations and mutual interests between the two countries.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the Acting Minister of Northern State extended an invitation to the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport to visit the state and observe infrastructure projects and transport facilities firsthand.BH/BH