Economy Suez Canal Development Project: Egypt's Gate to the Future President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi With the Egyptian children around him, when he gave go ahead to implement the East Port Said project On November 27, 2015, President Ab- Egyptians’ will to successfully address del-Fattah el-Sissi inaugurated the initial the challenges of careful planning and phase of the East Port Said project. This speedy implementation of massive in- was part of a strategy initiated by the vestment projects, in spite of the state of digging of the New Suez Canal (NSC), instability and turmoil imposed on the already completed within one year on Middle East and North Africa and the August 6, 2015. This was followed by unrelenting attempts by certain interna- steps to dig out a 9-km-long branch tional and regional powers to destabilize channel East of Port-Said from among Egypt. dozens of projects for the development In a suggestive gesture by President el of the Suez Canal zone. -Sissi, as he was giving a go-ahead to This project is the main pillar of in- launch the new phase of the East Port vestment, on which Egypt pins hopes to Said project, he insisted to have around yield returns to address public budget him on the podium a galaxy of Egypt’s deficit, reduce unemployment and in- children, including siblings of martyrs, crease growth rate. This would positively signifying Egypt’s recognition of the role reflect on the improvement of the stan- of young generations in building its fu- dard of living for various social groups in ture. Egypt. Above all, this would foster East Port Said Development Project: (3) Goals, Location and Implementation The industrial estate will house iron Plans: and steel and complimentary industries The project aims to make maximum serving the port as well as maritime in- use of the expanse of land available east dustries. of the Suez Canal and to create an eco- The one million- population city, nomic, urban development extension to which serves mainly as an urban exten- the Canal’s three main cities reflecting sion to Port Said governorate, will com- positively on the overall development of prise areas for urban real-estate develop- the entire area. According to law, the ment , as well as maritime, eco-tourism Suez Canal zone extending over 466 facilities. The zone infrastructure has the sq.km is an economic zone of a special potential for a thriving urban community nature. The completion on August 6, in the East Port Said zone. 2015 marked the actual beginning of the Many roads and highways lead to the project that was designed so as to turn location, including el-Arish-al-Qantara the Suez Canal from simply a waterway road, al-Qantara Sharq at-Tafri’a road into an integrated development zone. and Port Fuad ferry. Location and Implantation Plans: Main Component As an integrated project, it comprises of the project the following facilities covering a total Port Said Zone area of 70,549 feddans: Currently underway, this project com- A one-million population city prises the construction of an extension to ( 29,513,3 feddans); Port-Said city east of the Suez Canal An industrial estate (23,574 feddans) (port-city), linking it with a road and tun- and Sharq at-Tafri’a Port ( 17,159.6 nel network, a major logistics, residential feddans and trade zone, by building a sea port Geographically, the one-million popu- with 5-km.-long and 500-m.-wide docks. lation city lies on the northern entrance These include miscellaneous 5-km.-long of Suez Canal, bounded by the Mediter- and 400-500m.-wide docks as a first ranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal phase a 950m.-diameter turnaround area branch to the west, Rummana and Ba- and a 3 km.-long and 500-m.-wide and loozha towns to the east and agricultural 18.5 m.-deep navigation channel. This hinterland and al-Qantara town to south. would allow ships to enter directly the Sharq at-Tafri’a Port lies on northeast- East Port Said port without having to ern entrance of Suez Canal south branch, wait for ships transiting the Suez Canal a meeting-point for the three continents, to pass by. The project also comprises a world trade traffic between the east and 9 km.-long and 250m.-wide approach west and a magnet for ships transiting the channel, a 40 million-sq m.-industrial Suez Canal. Development of this area is area, including 16 million sq.m. as a first underpinned by the East Port-Said port priority, in addition to a factory zone, an zone, a container handling dock, a ship industrial estate management that con- bunkering station (60 per cent com- tains a service area, a conference center, pleted), and a multi-cargo, dry and agri- management premises, a sales center and cultural bulk port. In addition, a separate a hotel. Included will be also a residen- 9- km- long access canal is being exca- tial area covering 4 million sq. m. with vated for the northern entrance of the in- total 10,000 units as a first phase to ac- bound logistics storage zone. commodate 50,000 engineers, techni- (4) cians and workers. Upon completion, the being upgraded at a length of 210 km, area is expected to house 150,000 dwell- while a number of tunnels are being dug ers. In addition, the site will comprise a out north of Ismailia at km 73 milestone 30 1million sq. m. logistics area dedi- under the Suez Canal Authority scale, cated to port and industrial estate ser- thus creating a traffic corridor starting vices and an 80 million sq.m- aqua cul- from the heart of Cairo up to Sinai sea- ture area that is expected to yield 55,000 port. Additionally, a culvert will be dug tons of fish a day, providing employment out underneath the Suez Canal in for 7,000 citizens Serabium area to provide irrigation water To serve this project, plans are under- necessary for agricultural development in way to upgrade Port Said- Sharm el- the area east of the Canal. Another cul- Sheikh road, with a length of 500 km and vert will be built to pass waste water to Ismailia-Port Said road, with a length from al-Mahsama waste water canal that of 104 km. In addition, the June 30 Cor- was previously wasted away into at- ridor will be built, to start from the inter- Timssah lagoon in large quantities reach- national coastal road up to km 90 on Is- ing to 1.25 million c.m. a day. mailia-Cairo desert road with a length of As-Sokhna Port 102 km. Development Project Al-Galala town will be built on top of Recently, articles of association have Mount al-Galala al- Bahariyya at a been signed both chairmen of the Suez height of 700 m from sea level. The Canal Authority and the Red Sea Ports town, stretching over 17,000 feddans, Authority to incorporate a joint stock comprises a housing, tourist and service company between the Public Authority area, including a world-class tourist re- for the Development of the Suez Canal sort called al-Galala. Zone on the one hand and Dubai Ports Moreover, a number of tunnels are international and Soenker Bunkering on being built underneath the Suez Canal in the other. This is the starting-point for south Port Said area at km 19 milestone. upgrading as-Sokhna Port as part of the These include three 4km-long and 1, 5 Suez Canal Zone Development master m.-wide vehicular and one 7km-long and plan. The agreement included a settle- 11.5 m.-wide railway tunnel. ment of all outstanding problems among Ismailia-al-Qantara all parties concerned. The company plans Corridor to build a new dock similar to the exist- This project comprises the construc- ing liquid bulk one, in order to facilitate tion of the new city of Ismailia ( already the handling of all kinds of oil, gas and initiated) that would have a total of petrochemical products. The new dock is 55.000 residential units on an area of scheduled to be completed within one 5,800 feddans, fully equipped with utili- year. According to the articles of associa- ties, services and administrative facili- tion, the Public Authority for the Devel- ties. This will be the first Egyptian city opment of the Suez Canal Zone will hold that is sensitive to people with special 60 per cent of the new company’s equity, needs. In addition, the project will in- while the other two companies will hold clude an industrial estate in al-Qantara 20 per cent each. The agreement involves west and technology part east of Is- settlement and full repayment, before mailia. signing, of all dues owed to the Govern- Currently, the Ismailia- al-Oaja road is ment of Egypt by both companies. This (5) would ensure the settlement of all out- includes reclaimed land, drilled water standing problem in both East Port-Said wells, irrigation channels and facilities and as-Sokhna ports and Egypt’s needs and housing units. As a pilot, the Fara- of oil and gas product are made avail- fra Oasis has been already imple- able. mented, with 1,500 residential units. Presidential messages in the inaugural Phase I of the national road network ceremony: covering 5,000 km has been completed The speedy implementation of this, and Phase II was initiated, thus better together with a large number of similar connecting Egypt’s cities and gover- major projects across Egypt is indeed a norates, apart from linking industrial new window of hope for Egyptians, re- estates, airports and sea-ports, More futing all calls of despair propagated by than three airports have been com- narrow-minded cynics that aim to dis- pleted but not yet publicized , courage all attempts at progress and rem- The challenge of combating corrup- edy.