Office de la Marine Marchande et des Ports 
The Office of Merchant Marine and Ports Authority OMMP organized, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the honorary hall of the Port of La Goulette, a ceremony marking the completion of the delivery program for six modern marine tugboats.
The event was attended by Ms. Khaoula Belakhdhar, Chairwoman and CEO of OMMP, Her Excellency Ms. Anne Guéguen, Ambassador of France to Tunisia, Mr. Moez Zaarai, in charge of managing the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Hatem Fekih, General Director of Maritime Transport and Commercial Ports, and Mr. Christophe Cottet, the French Development Agency Director.
The ceremony also included representatives from MEDMARINE, the GIMII-KANDORA MARINE study group, several senior officials of OMMP, and representatives of port and maritime sector.
The CEO noted that the delivery of the sixth and final tugboat, “Kerkouane,” completes the program to acquire six modern tugboats at a total cost of 168 million dinars, partially financed by a loan from the French Development Agency amounting to 41 million euros. This project has enabled the renewal of the tugboat fleet, strengthened the operational readiness of ports, improved the quality of towing services, accelerated interventions, enhanced marine pollution response capabilities, and increased the efficiency of sea rescue operations.
She also explained that this acquisition is part of an integrated strategic vision, in line with the guidelines of the Tunisian Ports Master Plan for 2040, and forms part of a development program that includes the implementation of 15 major projects with a total estimated cost of 537 million dinars. The program focuses on infrastructure development, support for energy transition, and the enhancement of digitalization, within the framework of the 2026–2030 five-year development plan.
For her part, the Ambassador of France to Tunisia praised the strength of the cooperative relations between the two countries in the transport sector, highlighting Tunisia’s commitment to improving port operation safety and the quality of towing services through the implementation of the tugboat acquisition project. She also emphasized the environmental dimension of the initiative, as well as the prospects for strengthening cooperation in the fields of green ports, energy efficiency, and the adoption of renewable energy in ports.
