- February 6, 2025
- Posted by: Ahmed Abed
- Category: 2024, EN
Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien, Chairman of the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), along with a delegation of senior officials, conducted an inspection tour of the East Port Said Integrated Zone and West Port Said Port. The visit aimed to monitor the progress of ongoing development projects at both East and West Port Said, as well as the East Port Said Industrial Zone.
The tour included site visits to various companies operating within East Port Said Port, providing an opportunity to assess the current construction status at different terminals. Among these were the ro-ro terminal operated by the Toyota Tsusho, Bolloré, and NYK alliance, the Sky Logistics and Reliance terminals, the Roots dry bulk terminal, and the Suez Canal Container Terminal (APM Terminals).
At the outset of the tour, Chairman Gamal El-Dien reviewed the development work being carried out by SCZONE at West Port Said Port. He was briefed on the comprehensive port development plan, which is driving significant growth in the zone. The port director highlighted the imminent completion of the first phase, encompassing road rehabilitation and paving, landscaping, and the construction of new, modernized customs gates spanning from customs gates 2 to 34. He also noted that the SCZone is nearing completion of a fire suppression network and a fire station for transit warehouses, along with the redesign of yards, the modernization of warehouses, the demolition of outdated structures, and the implementation of a comprehensive electronic system for managing port operations.
During his inspection of East Port Said Port, SCZONE Chairman met with Mr. Nobuhiko Murakami, Chairman of Toyota Tsusho. They discussed the progress made by the company at the ro-ro terminal, a joint venture of the Japanese Toyota Tsusho, the French Bolloré, and the Japanese NYK. The terminal, located on the western quay of East Port Said Port, features a 600-meter-long berth, a total terminal area of 225,000 square meters, and a logistics area of 170,000 square meters. The terminal is expected to play a pivotal role in vehicle handling and transit activities in the coming phase. The pilot operation of the station is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025.
Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien also followed up on the expansion of the Suez Canal Container Terminal (APM Terminals), discussing the development of container terminal 2, which includes a 955-meter-long berth and a 518,000 square meter handling yard at East Port Said Port. He inspected the new cranes at the terminal, where the first and second batches of a total of eight Gantry cranes and twelve RTG cranes were recently delivered. SCCT officials stated that The container throughput at Container Terminal 1 reached 3.8 million containers and work is progressing on schedule and that the company is providing state-of-the-art equipment to fully automate the berth’s operation. The first phase of the quay is expected to start pilot operation in the second quarter of 2025.
SCZONE Chairman concluded his tour of East Port Said Port with visits to ongoing projects, including the multi-purpose terminal with a 900-meter long berth and a 380,000-square-meter handling yard being developed and operated by Sky Logistics. Which achieved throughput rates of 6 million tons during the trial operation in 2024. He also monitored the construction of the Roots terminal, which will operate the clean dry bulk terminal for handling grains and cereals, featuring a 500-meter long berth and a 267,000-square-meter handling yard. These terminals boost handling rates and achieve integrated supply chains that serve the demands of global trade.
“One of the fundamental pillars of SCZONE’s strategy is to continue developing our affiliated ports and diversifying terminal activities to create a leading global logistics hub. This hub will strengthen global value chains, meeting the growing demand for goods, particularly food and pharmaceuticals, amidst regional challenges that amplify the importance of our ports. I deeply appreciate the unprecedented support from Egyptian official institutions in achieving these objectives rapidly. SCZONE is unwavering in its commitment to supporting our investors in realizing developmental leaps in the integrated East Port Said zone. This development contributes to Sinai’s growth, driven by the synergy between the industrial zone and East Port Said Port, which will boost port activity and exports from planned regional projects. These projects align with Egypt’s vision for localizing key industries, including automotive manufacturing, railway car production, green fuel development, and other vital sectors.” Stated Mr. Waleid Gamal El-Dien
