Security Drivers in Alexandria, Egypt

Getting to Alexandria starts, for most principals, at a different airport altogether. Borg El Arab International (HBE) sits around 40km outside the city but carries limited scheduled international service, so the standard route is Cairo International (CAI) followed by the Cairo-Alexandria desert road, roughly 220km covered in 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic, with a coastal alternative and a rail option also available. A security driver meeting the principal at Cairo airport and running the full overland leg is the practical, and generally the more secure, approach.

Once in the city, the driving picture splits in two. The Corniche waterfront, San Stefano, and Smouha districts are open, well-trafficked, and straightforward for route planning. The port and surrounding petrochemical corridor east of the city is a different environment entirely: active checkpoints, restricted photography that extends to mobile phones, and site clearance requirements that need arranging in advance rather than assumed on arrival. Drivers working Alexandria regularly need working knowledge of both.

Licensing runs through Egypt’s national Ministry of Interior framework, with no separate Alexandria requirement, and armed driving details remain outside the commercial market, reserved for government-authorised assignments. The city’s own threat picture, shaped by two shootings in May 2023 and October 2024 that targeted individuals with Israeli association, means route variation and closer coordination with a close protection detail matter more here than the phrase “routine transfer” usually implies.

For the wider destination picture, see the Alexandria city page. Compare the connecting leg on our security drivers in Cairo page, and see our Egypt country hub for the national licensing and threat framework. Principals needing a full protective detail rather than transport alone should also review bodyguard hire in Alexandria.