CAIRO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The torch relay ceremonies of the Shanghai Special Olympics is scheduled to be held in Egypt on July 2, which is expected to be the first stop of the trip around the world, a Chinese embassy official told Xinhua here on Tuesday.

    After arriving at the northern Egypitan port city of Alexandria, some 220 km northwest to Cairo, the torch will come to a ceremony in front of the Alexandria Library and will be ignited at the ancient castle in the city, said Li Jingfang, cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy to Egypt.

    In the evening of July 2, there will be a 1,500-meter torch running before the Giza Pyramids in Cairo, Li added.

    Egypt, where the International Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa office is situated, is the first stop of the torch relay. The torch will be ignited first in Greece on June 29, and England will welcome the torch following its trip in Egypt, the Chinese diplomat noted.

    The 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai from Oct. 2 to 11. More than 10,000 athletes and coaches, 20,000 family members from over 160 countries and regions are expected to show up.