There was a palpable sense of excitement during the two-hour journey to Ismailia in a convoy of buses flanked by military vehicles. On arrival we were welcomed by Admiral Muhab Mameesh, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority. “The visit has been organised by the armed forces' military attachés unit in order to provide foreign military attachés serving in Egypt with information about the project, which is a major component of Egypt's developing plans,” said Brigadier Osama Gaafar, head of the army's military attachés unit. “Our aim is to foster greater understanding of the details involved in a scheme that is an intrinsic part of Egyptian aspirations.” Admiral Mameesh gave a comprehensive presentation of the project and then answered questions posed by the audience. The presentation was divided into four sections, beginning with an overview of the digging of the original canal in 1869. “Egypt's population at the time was 4.5 million. Yet over a million workers took part in the digging. The Suez Canal therefore belongs to the Egyptian people, not to the government or any particular regime,” said Mameesh. A movie was then shown describing the digging of the new waterway, discussing its benefits and covering President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi's launch of the project last month. Construction work on the new waterway began on 6 August. By the time the project is complete a new 35-kilometer section of canal, 340 meters wide and 24 meters deep, will have been dug parallel to the original canal and four channels constructed to connect the new and old waterways. Five residential and tourist complexes will have been built and marinas and fish farms constructed. “What is envisioned is a major national project from which future generations will benefit,” said Mameesh. “We are making use of all available facilities in the construction of harbour and industrial zones around the canal and the creation of new communities that will generate a host of job opportunities. “Dredging is beginning at both ends of the channel, carried out by experienced teams of technicians and engineers.” Kamel Al-Waziri, chief of staff of the Armed Forces' Engineering Division, welcomed the visitors to a large stage erected at one of the digging points. He told the visitors that the digging is expected to be complete by September, when work will begin on casing the banks. He explained that digging the parallel canal and enlarging the existing channel were the most important part of a project, which also includes development of port facilities at Port Said and Sokhna, the building of a new port in Arish, an industrial zone east of Kantara, a technology park and four tunnels, two scheduled to open by the end of 2015. According to Al-Waziri, work on three tunnels in South Port Said, and another three in North Ismailia to connect the Delta with Sinai, will begin immediately. “The work will be undertaken by a total of 54 Egyptian companies and two military battalions,” he said. The visitors were given a conducted tour of the site. “It is important to understand plans to expand, widen and deepen the Suez Canal,” said Simone Brand, chief of the Military Attachés Association of Egypt. “It is a major channel for world trade. “We understand President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi insisted the tunnel will be opened in a year, not three years as supposed. We look forward to the canal authorities inviting us to the opening ceremony next year,” he added. Brand has served as the British military attaché in Egypt for two years. Guests were also shown around Tabet Al-Shagara, the former Israeli command centre seized by the Egyptian military during 1973 October War. “Visiting one of Egypt's biggest development projects is very useful for our work,” said Rashed Al-Niawi, the UAE's military attaché. Egypt plays a leading role in regional security and we are keen to support it in the challenges it faces.” “The project is exceptionally promising. The government is clearly serious about pursuing its development plans,” said Jery Ludiueu, the Czech military attaché. “It is a project that will help secure the whole of Sinai.” Canadian military attaché Todd Brathe said the new waterway would be central to securing maritime navigation. “We are keen to see how the government, the military and security forces are tackling this aspect.”
