Egypt to launch New Suez Canal on August 6 – Official

Egypt’s new Suez Canal will be opened on August 6, the canal authority chairman Mohab Mamish announced Saturday.

During a press conference broadcast live on state television, Mamish also said the drilling of the new canal had been concluded, while the dredging is scheduled to be done on July 15.

Mamish stated the drilling process involved lifting 250 million cubic metres of dry sand, describing the process as an unprecedented “achievement”.

The project, launched by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in August, 2014, is set to increase the Suez Canal’s capacity to 97 passing ships per day, up from the current rate of 49 per day, cancelling stoppage time and reducing cost of travel.