Egypt plans a new 9.5km canal

Egypt plans to construct a new 9.5-kilometre canal to allow ships to enter the Suez Canal via the northern point of Port Said, according to media reports.

The daily newspaper, the Cairo Post, quoted Mohab Mamish, chairperson for the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), as saying: “SCA has agreed on the contract company to start on the new canal, which will increase the economic value of the area.”

The companies tasked with digging the new canal under the ‘Alliance of Challenge’ include Dutch dredging company Boskalis, Van Oord, and Belgian group Jan De Nul.

According to Portechnology.com, the new canal is designed to cut waiting times at the northern terminus so that ships coming from Port Said can sail straight through the Suez Canal.