The launch marks a milestone in the port’s development, one month after the terminal began trial operations. The terminal is managed by the Hutchison Ports–CMA COSCO Shipping consortium.
Attendees included Major General Tarek El-Shazly, Governor
of Suez; Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority; Major
General Nihad Shaheen, Deputy Minister of Transport for Maritime Transport;
Major General Mohamed Khalil, Director of the Ain Sokhna Port Development and
Completion Project; Engineer Mohamed Fathy, Assistant Minister for Maritime
Transport; Clemens Cheng, Managing Director and Regional Director for Europe
and Egypt at Hutchison Ports; Christine Cabau, CEO of CMA Container Terminals;
Chutao, Chairman of COSCO Shipping; Kaho Wong, CEO of Red Sea Container
Terminal; and representatives from Hutchison Ports and COSCO Shipping.
Prime Minister Madbouly described the launch as a
significant day in the history of Egyptian ports. He stressed the state’s
commitment to developing ports to transform Egypt into a regional hub for
transport, logistics, and transit trade, in line with President Abdel Fattah El
Sisi’s directives. The commercial launch is part of the Ain Sokhna Port
Development and Completion Project, a key component of the integrated Ain
Sokhna–Alexandria container logistics corridor linking the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean.
Madbouly highlighted the central role of port development in
strengthening Egypt’s position as an international trade and logistics hub. He
said it maximizes the benefits of Egypt’s strategic location and supports the
state’s development plan to drive national growth.
Al-Wazir said the terminal is fully automated and operates
according to the highest international standards. This increases Ain Sokhna
Port’s capacity to accommodate the world’s largest shipping lines. He noted
that the terminal reinforces Egypt’s position as a key hub in global supply
chains and aligns with the leadership’s strategy to attract major international
shipping lines. The Ministry of Transport is implementing a comprehensive plan
to establish strategic partnerships with leading global container terminal
operators and shipping lines.
Al-Wazir added that the terminal’s operation supports
Egyptian exports and opens new markets through direct shipping services. He
said it also contributes to an integrated multimodal transport system
connecting maritime container terminals with railway networks and the
high-speed electric train.