Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signed an order on Thursday allowing ships to pass through the New Suez Canal.
The $8.5 billion project involved the dredging of an adjacent waterway that now allows vessels to pass each other through most of the canal, cutting transit times (18 hours to 11 hours for southbound traffic) and theoretically allowing more ships through the canal.
The expansion was opened during a huge inauguration ceremony put on by al-Sisi on Thursday in Ismailia, Egypt. The New Suez Canal is being considered the centerpiece of al-Sisi’s plans to revitalize the country’s economy after years of political turmoil.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi waves from a boat on the “New Suez Canal”, August 6, 2015. REUTERS/The Egyptian Presidency/Handout
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Mohab Mameesh, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority. REUTERS/The Egyptian Presidency/Handout
A ship named “Long life Egypt” crosses the new section of the Suez Canal after the opening ceremony. Egypt staged a show of international support as it inaugurated the extension, which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes will power an economic turnaround in the Arab world’s most populous country. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Egyptian air force planes parade in front of a statue representing a man digging during the inauguration ceremony of the new Suez Canal, in Ismailia, Egypt, August 6, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
The containership Thalassa Avra crosses the new section of the Suez Canal after the opening ceremony. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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