Progress on new Suez Canal channel praised by UAE Minister of State

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and chairman of the UAE-backed Coordination Office of Development Projects in Egypt, said that a new Suez Canal channel would cement Egypt’s role as a keystone in the world economy.

In an interview published in Al Ittihad, The National's sister publication, Dr Al Jaber said: "The new channel will have a positive impact in stimulating international trade and will promote economic growth and stability in Egypt, the region, and the world. In addition, it will also increase the number of ships transiting the canal daily, which will increase the Egyptian treasury's returns while cutting waiting time."

Major ports around the world, he said, had already begun to develop their capacity in anticipation of the expected increase in shipping and cargo traffic coming from the strategic trade channel creating a pathway from the Mediterranean into the Indian Ocean.

The new canal, Dr Al Jaber said, would also reduce transit time and therefore save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“We are proud that the UAE National Marine Dredging Company was heavily involved in this project, which is part of a powerful consortium including Dutch companies Van Oord, Boskalis and the Belgian company Jan de Nul,” he said.

The coordination between several companies and the Egyptian authorities took 10 months to execute the 35 kilometres of marine dredging for the channel.

“That demonstrates the efficiency of UAE companies and their ability to transfer expertise and accomplish goals in record time.”

Vice Admiral Mohab Mamish, Suez Canal Authority chairman, said the new canal, which officially opens on Thursday, “is a miracle by every standard”. The project was also one of the largest dredging operations in history.

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