Egypt opened a major expansion of the Suez Canal, which deepens the main waterway and provides ships with a 35km (22 mile) channel parallel to it.
The original Suez Canal was completed in 1869 and took 10 years to build. Egypt was the first country to dig a man-made canal across its lands to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea via the branches of the River Nile.
The new, $8.5 billion canal was constructed in just under 12 months, beating all predictions by industry experts that it would take five years.
The canal provides a passageway between the Mediterranean and Red seas.
The head of the Suez Canal Authority, Mohab Mamish, said the new canal was important to ensure Egypt earns revenues from its waterways in the future.
The canal has been a significant income source for Egypt, bringing in over $5 billion in 2014 and it’s expansion was part of a larger plan to turn the Suez Canal zone into a global logistics and trade center.
At the inauguration, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed foreign leaders including French President Francois Hollande and Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev aboard a historic yacht as helicopters and fighter jets flew by.
Egyptian officials announced the expansion as a “gift” which “changes the map of the world.”
The ceremony invoked both national pride and a global outlook, including remarks by President el-Sisi and a musical performance.
The colossal engineering project was declared a national accomplishment and Egyptian television broadcasted pictures of the new canal accompanied by the theme tune to Game of Thrones.
All around the country there were billboards and countdowns reminding people of the gravity of the day of the project’s inauguration – the day was made a national holiday, public transport was free and public gardens open to all.
The Suez Canal is the fastest link between Asia and Europe and accounts for around 7% of global seaborne trade. It’s long been a principle source of state revenue for Egypt.
