The Suez Canal: Egypt's Vital Waterway Linking Two Seas

The Suez Canal is a 193 km (120 mi) artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea (at Port Said) to the Red Sea (at Suez). It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the Indian Ocean/Western Pacific, avoiding the lengthy, hazardous voyage around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

Key Facts

• Opened: November 1869 (after 10 years' construction).
• Owner/Operator: Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Egyptian state entity.
• Traffic: ~19,000 vessels/year (avg 50/day); ~12% of global trade by volume.
• Dimensions: 24 m (79 ft) deep, 205–225 m (673–738 ft) wide at surface; no locks (sea-level).
• Expansion: 2015 "New Suez Canal" added 35 km parallel channel for two-way traffic, reducing transit from 18 to 11 hours.

Strategic Importance

The canal is a critical chokepoint for oil, LNG, container ships, and naval vessels. Closures (1956 Suez Crisis, 1967–75 Six-Day War aftermath, 2021 Ever Given grounding) cause global supply-chain shocks. Egypt earns ~$5–7 billion annually in transit fees.

It remains one of the world's most strategically and economically important engineered waterways.