President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi speaks during the inauguration of a number of maritime stations in the Suez Canal Economic Zone at East Port Said Port. Photo: Egyptian presidency
During the event, President El-Sisi emphasised that the development work is the result of joint efforts, calling for more achievements and projects at a faster pace.
He highlighted Egypt’s achievements in ports, railways, roads, axes and energy sectors, underscoring the need to continue striving in order for Egypt to assume its rightful place among nations, especially in the fields of transport and logistics.
The president referred to the challenges that Egypt faced in implementing the SCZone project in 2015. He noted that despite these challenges, the state achieved the targeted goals through willpower and hard work.
El-Sisi praised Egyptians for their support and resilience, urging them to remain steadfast in their dedication and sacrifices as the state continues to strive for more achievements for the benefit of present and future generations.
During the event, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir reviewed the state’s strategy for port development, noting that Egypt has become a regional hub for transport, logistics, and transit trade.
He said that, as part of this strategy, 14 ports have been developed and five new ports have been established.
For his part, Executive Vice President of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group and CEO of A.P. Moller-Terminals, Keith Svendsen, announced the company's intention to increase its investments in Egypt in the coming period. He expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government for its efforts to facilitate the work of the company.
In return, President El-Sisi thanked Maersk for honouring its commitments. He looked forward to increasing the company's investments and those of other investors, assuring that Egypt would offer every form of assistance to facilitate the work of these companies.
Moreover, Svendsen highlighted the fruitful and successful cooperation between the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and the company.
He emphasised Egypt's active leadership in supporting stability in the Middle East, praising President El-Sisi and Egypt's vital role in hosting the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace.
During the event, Chairman of the SCzone Authority Waleid Gamaleldien affirmed that this year has been exceptional for the Authority. He noted that East Port Said Port is the first container port in Africa and the third globally.
Gamaleldien praised President El-Sisi's vision in establishing the SCZone despite the challenges. He thanked state agencies for developing and securing related facilities that connect the east and west of the canal to attract more investments.
Gamaleldien outlined the Authority’s strategy to attract investments. He noted that the Authority has attracted $11.6 billion worth of investments between 2016 and 2025. These investments, he noted, emphasised localizing industries, including green hydrogen production in line with Egypt's national low-carbon hydrogen strategy. They created over 136,000 direct job opportunities.
For his part, Chairman of the Suez Canal Automotive Handling Company (SCAT) and CEO of AGL Ports, Olivier De Noray, hailed President El-Sisi's vision and determination to implement the SCZone project, which has become a strategic gateway to Africa and the surrounding regions.
He emphasised that the SCAT projects in Egypt would serve as a platform for automobile production and export worldwide.
Furthermore, the Chairman of Sky Ports Egypt, Tarek Fathy, emphasised that the group's projects in Egypt would contribute to transforming Egypt into a global logistics hub.
According to the Egyptian presidency, the celebration included the screening of a documentary titled “10 Years of Achievements,” as well as a documentary about the integrated East Port Said zone.
The event also featured the inauguration of the multi-purpose terminal and the automotive handling station via video conference.
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