China’s Hutchison terminal seen starting operations at Ain Sokhna in mid-2025

The Hutchison Container Terminal, developed by China’s Hutchison Ports at Ain Sokhna Port, is expected to start operations in mid-2025, Amwal Al Ghad Arabic reported on Thursday, citing Mohamed Khalil, director of port development.

Earlier this year, the Egyptian Ministry of Transport awarded in January the development rights to Chinese ports giant Hutchison Ports.

The terminal boasts a 1,600-meter berth, with the initial phase of the project encompassing 1,200 meters. Dredging operations are currently underway to deepen the berth to 18 metres, with an expected completion date within the next 20 days.

In 2023, Hutchison Ports announced a substantial investment of $700 million in two port projects in Egypt: one at Ain Sokhna Port and the other at the Port of Alexandria, bringing the total investments in the country to more than $1.5 billion.

“The new container terminal in Sokhna will provide a significant boost to Egypt’s maritime trade, as it is strategically located on the Red Sea and offers direct access to major shipping routes.” Hutchison Ports said in a statement last year.

Funds were allocated to build a new container terminal at Ain Sokhna Port with a capacity of 1.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Strategically located along the Red Sea for easy access to major shipping routes, boosting maritime trade in the region, the anticipated terminal is equipped with modern technology to provide efficient and reliable services to customers.

Egypt identified port development as one of as the key drivers of foreign direct investment. Industry experts anticipate nationwide port capacity to rise from just under 10 million TEUs in 2022 to nearly 19 million TEUs in 2024, according to Seatrade Maritime News.