Egypt will inaugurate ‘New Suez Canal’ next August – PM

Egypt’s “new Suez Canal” is to be inaugurated next August, Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said on Monday at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

The premier invited the summit’s guests to attend the inauguration of the newly expanded Suez Canal, which is to include a new lane to allow for ships to pass in opposite directions at the same time.

He also called on them to invest in a commercial zone to be established near the extended Suez Canal.

The widening of the Suez Canal and the new commercial zone are both part of Egypt’s Suez Canal Development mega-project, which also includes plans to develop the seaports in the bordering governorates of Suez, Ismailia and Port Said and in the South Sinai town of Nuweiba, as well as the Sharm Al-Sheikh airport.

Delegates from 19 African countries are currently attending the COMESA summit.

Source: Ahram Online