• Egypt has launched a new deepwater container terminal at Ain Sokhna port
• The facility can handle mega container ships and is run by a global consortium
• The project supports Egypt’s Vision 2030 maritime and logistics strategy

Egypt officially commissioned the new container terminal at Ain Sokhna port on January 15 following a technical testing phase that began in December 2025. The terminal has nearly 2,600 linear meters of berths and a draft of 18 meters, allowing it to receive very large container vessels of up to 400 meters in length. These specifications place Ain Sokhna among the ports capable of capturing mega container ship traffic, amid continued growth in global maritime trade.

The strategic facility is operated by a consortium bringing together Hutchison Ports and COSCO Shipping Ports, two major Chinese port groups, alongside French shipping company CMA CGM. It is part of a broader modernization program at Ain Sokhna port, seen as a central link in the integrated Sokhna–Alexandria logistics corridor. The corridor is designed to connect the Red Sea to the Mediterranean through a network of ports, industrial zones, and land connections, strengthening Egypt’s role as a regional logistics hub and a gateway between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The project is one of the pillars of Egypt’s national Vision 2030 strategy, led by the Ministry of Transport, which plans investments of nearly 300 billion Egyptian pounds, or about $6.35 billion, in the maritime sector. The strategy is built around three main axes: expanding port infrastructure through the construction of 70 km of quays with depths ranging from 18 to 25 meters and increasing total port area to more than 100 million square meters; strengthening the national fleet, which is expected to reach 40 vessels by 2030; and developing strategic partnerships with leading international maritime operators.

In the medium term, the ramp-up of the Ain Sokhna platform could accelerate the reshaping of logistics routes in North Africa and the Red Sea, against a backdrop of intense competition among regional hubs. Morocco, another major player in the region, is also carrying out large-scale investments to position itself as a leading transit hub for maritime flows in the area.

Henoc Dossa