Suez Canal dredging to meet revised deadline

News – August 22, 2008

Middle East Business Intelligence (MEED) reports that important work on the Suez Canal is now on schedule to meet a deadline in 2009.

MEED reported in April this year that the dredging of the waterway to 66ft from 62ft had stalled due to the high volumes of traffic on the canal. The work had been due to be completed in 2007.

In April, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) officials admitted that only 75 per cent of the work was complete, saying it would be completed in early 2009.

An SCA official has now confirmed that the work is on schedule to meet the 2009 deadline.

“The work is now about 83 per cent complete and will be finished late this year or most likely early next year,” he said.

“Traffic levels are running at record highs on the canal and the SCA has effectively slowed down the dredging work to capitalise on the lucrative shipping boom,” said MEED.