Egyptian Ministers Discuss Suez Canal Development Plan

The ministers of housing, transport, investment and industry have met on 2/9/ 2012 to examine executive steps and timeframes for a national project that aims at developing the Suez Canal zone to become one of the world's leading logistics hubs. This will be one of the government's major projects in the current phase, Housing and Urban Communities Minister Tariq Wafiq told reporters after the meeting.

The project will include the development of Port Said and East Port Said, Ismailia, Al-Amal region and the "technology valley" and new and central Ismailia in addition to the northeast Gulf of Suez and the El-Ein El-Sukhna port and airport, he said. As part of the project 77,000 feddans east Suez Canal will be reclaimed in addition to continuing to reclaim lands and establish fisheries across the governorates of Suez and Port Said, Chairman of the Urban Planning Authority Moustafa Madbouli said. "We will establish different kinds of industrial complexes and central pivotal ports to boost trade and realize comprehensive development," said Hatem Saleh, the minister of industry.