President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday urged accelerated development of Egypt's ports and logistics infrastructure, saying the country is keen to attract more foreign investment—particularly from global partners such as Maersk—into the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE). Speaking at the inauguration of several new marine terminals at East Port Said, Al-Sisi said recent advances in ports, railways, roads, and energy infrastructure were achieved through sustained national cooperation. He affirmed that the state would provide all necessary facilities to support investors, pointing to the "promising opportunities" created by Egypt's strategic location and the global importance of the Suez Canal. The president noted that the SCZONE project faced significant challenges when launched in 2015, but coordinated work among state institutions allowed Egypt to achieve "objectives once seen as difficult." He called for accelerating the pace of ongoing projects and praised Egyptians for their "resilience in confronting challenges." Earlier in the ceremony, Keith Svendsen, deputy CEO of A.P. Moller–Maersk and CEO of APM Terminals, praised Egypt's role in hosting the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit and announced Maersk's intention to expand its investments in the country. He thanked the government for the support and facilities provided. Olivier de Noray, Chairperson of Suez Canal Automotive Terminal (SCAT) and CEO of AGL Ports, said the SCZONE has become a strategic gateway to Africa under Al-Sisi's vision. He added that SCAT projects aim to position Egypt as a hub for vehicle manufacturing and export. Automotive and multi-purpose terminals were inaugurated via video link during the event. According to Presidency Spokesman Mohamed El-Shenawy, Walid Gamal El-Din, head of the SCZONE Authority, presented indicators showing that the zone attracted $11.6bn in investments and generated more than 136,000 direct jobs between 2016 and 2025. He noted that East Port Said now ranks as Africa's top container port and third globally in its category. Kamel El-Wazir, deputy prime minister for industrial development and minister of industry and transport, said Egypt has upgraded 14 ports and built five new ones as part of a national strategy to transform the country into a regional logistics and transit-trade hub. Al-Sisi said Egypt looks forward to expanding partnerships in the ports and logistics sector and reiterated the need for faster project delivery, adding that the state will continue offering incentives to current and prospective investors.
