During the inauguration of the commercial operation of the Red Sea Container Terminal No. 1 (RSCT) at Ain Sokhna Port, attended by the Prime Minister:
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone said: We thank His Excellency the President for his continuous support of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, whether by launching the Sokhna Port development project to become the most important hub port on the Red Sea, or through his ongoing directives for direct investment in port development projects, infrastructure, and facilities within the Authority.
Mr. Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the General Authority of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, delivered a speech today during the launch of the commercial operation of RSCT at Ain Sokhna Port, in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister; Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport; Major General Tarek El-Shazly, Governor of Suez; Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority; Major General Nihad Shahin, Deputy Minister of Transport for Maritime Transport; Major General Mohamed Khalil, Director of the Sokhna Port Development Project; and Engineer Mohamed Fathy, Assistant Minister for Maritime Transport.
Also present were Mr. Clemens Cheng, Managing Director and Regional Director for Europe and Egypt at Hutchison Ports; Ms. Christine Cabot, CEO of CMA Terminals; Mr. Chutao, Chairman of COSCO Shipping; Mr. Kaho Wong, CEO of Red Sea Container Terminal; and representatives of Hutchison Ports, CMA, and COSCO Shipping.
At the beginning of his speech, Mr. Walid Gamal El-Din welcomed the attendees at Ain Sokhna Port in the Suez Canal Economic Zone to celebrate this exceptional occasion, coinciding with the near completion of the full development of Sokhna Port and the achievement of world-record figures in development works. He noted: Today we celebrate the launch of the commercial operation of the Red Sea Container Terminal (RSCT), a new terminal at Sokhna Port operated by Hutchison, one of the world’s largest port operators, within the COSCO–CMA global shipping alliance. It is being developed to become one of Egypt’s largest container terminals, implemented in two phases: the first phase, inaugurated today, with a quay length of about 1.2 km; and the second phase, with a quay length of 1.4 km.
He added: The two phases will have a total handling capacity of 3.5 million TEUs annually, and the terminal can accommodate giant commercial vessels up to 400 meters long. This supports Egypt’s plans to enhance transit trade and container handling at Egyptian ports, especially Sokhna Port, one of the largest on the Red Sea and a gateway to African, Gulf, and Asian markets.
Mr. Walid Gamal El-Din continued: The SCZone continues its success story in the new year with new achievements and projects, after successfully concluding the “Year of Inaugurations 2025,” during which many port and industrial zone projects were inaugurated, launched, or contracted.
He pointed out that in the first half of fiscal year 2025–26 alone, the Authority succeeded in attracting 80 projects in ports and industrial zones with investment costs exceeding $5 billion—more than the total investments attracted in the previous fiscal year 2024–25, which amounted to $4.6 billion. For the first time in 2025, the Authority contracted projects across all four of its industrial zones, not only in Sokhna but also in West Qantara, East Port Said, and East Ismailia (Technology Valley in Sinai).
He noted further that there are projects to develop all SCZone ports, especially Sokhna Port and East Port Said Port, which ranked third globally in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2024. This reflects the steady steps taken by the Authority toward implementing its strategic vision in the “empowerment” phase, maximizing the benefits of Egypt’s infrastructure investments over recent years. He emphasized that we will soon reap the fruits of these infrastructure projects and legislative reforms, creating an attractive environment for investment in many fields.
The Chairman expressed gratitude to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his continuous support, whether by launching the Sokhna Port development project to make it the most important hub port on the Red Sea at the southern entrance of the Suez Canal, or through his directives for direct investment in port and infrastructure projects.
He also thanked Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport Lt. Gen. Kamel El-Wazir, and all state entities for their major efforts in developing Sokhna Port, expanding its area from 3 km² to 23 km², making it one of the largest Egyptian and regional ports. This expansion supports industrial activities in the SCZone. He also thanked the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority for full support, confirming the integration and coordination between the two authorities and the synergy among state institutions to achieve development.
He added: These efforts have enhanced the Authority’s ability to attract direct investments in targeted sectors, in addition to Egypt’s mega projects in transport networks—roads, tunnels, and railways—that link SCZone areas and ports together, maximizing the strategic location of Egypt as a global crossroads. This supports supply chain integration, along with Egypt’s international trade agreements that grant investors full access to global markets.
Mr. Walid Gamal El-Din stressed: The RSCT project we celebrate today writes a new chapter in trade movement. We thank all success partners for turning this project into reality in record time. We emphasize the importance of partnerships with local and global private sectors, which play a vital role in supporting integration plans, enhancing Egypt’s global competitiveness, and increasing resilience against global challenges by leveraging private sector expertise.
He concluded by reaffirming that the SCZone is fully prepared to provide all necessary support to ensure the success of this important project and others, translating the continuous commitment to enhancing the business environment and developing infrastructure to achieve the highest operational efficiency and a future full of opportunities and achievements.
