Egypt's Sokhna Port marks trial start of Red Sea Container Terminals

Egypt has reached a significant milestone in its ports and logistics development with the start of trial operations at Red Sea Container Terminals (RSCT) at Ain Sokhna Port, within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE).

The trial operation of the first phase of the RSCT project was witnessed in 2025 by Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, alongside Walid Gamal El-Din, President of the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The terminal is operated by Red Sea Container Terminals, backed by a consortium comprising Hutchison Ports, CMA CGM and COSCO Shipping.

RSCT is positioned as the latest container terminal at Sokhna Port and is being developed to support Egypt’s transit trade ambitions, particularly along the Red Sea corridor. Sokhna Port serves as a strategic gateway connecting African, Gulf and Asian markets.

According to details shared during the inauguration by SCZONE, the terminal will have a total berth length of 2.6 km across two phases, with 1.2 km operational in Phase 1. The combined terminal area spans approximately 1.6 million square metres, with a planned handling capacity of 3.5 million TEUs per year. The facility is designed to accommodate ultra-large container vessels of up to 400 metres in length.

RSCT confirmed through its official LinkedIn communication that the terminal commenced operations with its first vessel call, CMA CGM Helium, marking the soft opening of the facility. The company stated that the terminal was developed over 18 months in coordination with the Ministry of Transport and the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Phase 1 includes 720,000 square metres of yard space and is equipped with remotely operated container cranes prepared for operational deployment.

RSCT also highlighted that sustainability has been integrated into the terminal’s design, with electric cargo-handling equipment and trucks forming part of its operational infrastructure to support lower-emission port activities.

The start of trial operations coincides with international recognition for Ain Sokhna Port. On December 15, 2025, El-Wazir received a Guinness World Records certificate recognising Ain Sokhna as the deepest man-made port basin constructed on land, with a depth of 19 metres. The certificate was presented by Kanzy El-Defrawy, an accredited Guinness World Records adjudicator, during an official visit to the port.

El-Wazir said the recognition reflects the scale of development underway across Egypt’s maritime ports and forms part of a national plan to transform Ain Sokhna into a global logistics hub on the Red Sea, supporting the country’s ambitions in transport, logistics and transit trade.

The RSCT trial operation ceremony was attended by senior representatives from Hutchison Ports, CMA CGM and COSCO Shipping, alongside officials involved in the Sokhna Port development programme and executives from the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

With trial operations underway, Red Sea Container Terminals represents a key addition to Sokhna Port’s container handling capacity and a further step in strengthening Egypt’s integration into global maritime and logistics networks.

Note: Some of the details were sourced from an Arabic LinkedIn post by SCZONE, translated using the platform’s default tool.