The navigation movement in the Suez Canal
Egypt, Culture, 6/5/2000

June 5, 1975 marks the second opening of the Suez Canal to international navigation, which had been closed since the 1967 war. This wise move by the Egyptian political leadership, was internationally welcomed.

Impact of the re-opening of the Suez Canal on Egypt

* Support of the Egyptian economy through the revenues earned from the canal.

* Repatriation of the local inhabitants, previously evacuated, to their native cities.

* Establishment of free trade zones in the Suez Canal area.

* Increasing development and urbanization projects in the area.

* Rehabilitation of the Suez Canal area, so as to be able to attract investments, and turn it into an open international trade market between the East and West.

International Impact

* Reactivation of trade activity in the ports of Europe, East Africa and the Red Sea.

* Reduction of maritime transport fares, and the prices of some raw materials.

* Re-employment of hundreds of thousands of already laid off workers at the European Ports.

* Creation of a more competitive trade market in the interest of consumer.

Impact on world Trade

* The distance between Jedda port, Saudi Arabia and Konstaza on the Black Sea via the Cape of Good Hope is 11,771 nautical miles . The Suez Canal route reduced the distance by around 56% to 1,698 mile.

* The distance between Tokyo and Rotterdam port in the Netherlands is reduced by 23% if made via the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope. * The Suez Canal transports around 7% of the world sea-borne trade, 25 % of the trade to and from the Red Sea, and the Arabian Gulf, 20% of the trade to and from India, and south-east Asia, as well as 29% of the trade to and from the Far East.

Features of the Current Suez Canal: * Total length: 193 km * Length from the lighted buoy to the entrance of the Canal in Port Said: 22,500 km * Length from the Anchorage area to the southern entrance: 15 km * Length from Port Said to Ismailia: 78,500 km * Length from Ismailia to Port Tawfiq: 82,750 km * Length of the dual parts of the course: 68 km * Width of the Canal: 365,300m * Distance between buoys: 205,180m * Maximum allowable draught: 58 feet * Water section area: 3,900m2 to 4,300m2 * To be expanded to : 4,500 m2

Suez Canal Development (phased) (1975 to 1980)

* The Canal was widened by 70/90 metres.

* The Canal bed was deepened by 5 metres, from 14.5m to 20m.

* As a result, the water section of the Canal doubled from 1,800 m2 to 3,600 m2.

* A distance covering 68 km of the Canal was dualized and its draught deepened to 58 feet.

* Modernizing the equipment and units of the Suez Canal General Authority, as well as navigational aid.

* Electronic navigation monitoring system including ultra-modern radar networks were introduced. As a result the Suez Canal became capable of receiving overloaded super tankers.

The largest super-tanker in the world "Jahr Viking" weighing 564,763 tons transiting the suez canal served as a living witness to this improvement. The cost of this phase reached $1,300 million.

Third opening of the Suez Canal:

The third opening in 1980 came as culmination of the government's efforts in the way of modernizing the Canal. Its size became 2.5 times its size in 1975, 4 times its size in 1956, and 14 times its size in 1869. Moreover, the equipment used by the Suez Canal Authority has been upgraded 10 times since nationalization.

The electronic navigation monitoring system in the Canal as of October 1, 1981

It aimed at:

* Optimizing safety level available to transiting vessels.

* Controlling navigation in the canal from the lighthouse at the entrance to the exit area.

* Increasing the number of transiting vessels.

Components of this network:

* A radar network of 3 stations ( Port Fouad, the Bitter Lakes, Port Tawfiq).

* A wireless transmission network, a lauran C at 3 stations near Port Said, tenth of Ramadan City and Ras Sedr, in addition to wireless equipment on board the vessels.

* Computer Network consisting of 3 sections : on board the vessels.

* A network connected to radios, a network connected to wireless communication equipment, a network for gathering, organizing, and presenting data on every vessel and guide, in addition to a wireless communication network connecting all the officials in charge of navigation in the Canal, and all equipment and sites operating in the Canal area. This giant network cost $ 18 million and was first operated in October 1981.

Impact of the Suez Canal development and preparations for the phase 11 of modernization:

* Tanker loads increased by 50% one year after phase I was implemented. Revenues also rose by 50%.

* Super tankers weighing about 390,000 tons could transit the canal.

* The Canal total net loads passing daily have made record-breaking figures.

* Preparations for the implementation of phase 2 of the Suez Canal modernization, so that the water section of the Canal may reach 5000m2, and the draught to 68 then 73 feet in future.

* Around 17,500 vessels transit the Suez Canal annually of a net load of 400 million tons and revenues reach $ 2 billion.

The navigation movement in the Suez Canal

In the fiscal year 1996/97, the Suez Canal revenues increased by 2.7%.The transiting ships in the canal increased by around 240 ships due to the decrease of the non-petrol vessels by around 189 ships and the petrol carriers by around 51ships.

The tonnage volume that pass across the Canal annually has increased by around 0.5 reaching 287million ton (52,1% southeboune, 47.9% northe).

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