High-level African delegations to attend Suez Canal opening

High-level delegations from a number of African countries will attend the inauguration of the New Suez Canal, due on Thursday.

Eleven African presidents will show up for the event, which is considered a turning point in Egypt's modern history.

Sudanese President Omar al Bashir and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz confirmed their participation in the celebration, a diplomatic source told MENA.

Presidents of South Africa, Mali, Togo, Niger, Gabon, Democratic Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Comoros will attend the inauguration ceremony.

Egypt will inaugurate the New Suez Canal on Thursday, which will massively increase the capacity of the existing canal and offer an important chance to boost the country’s struggling economy.

Called the Suez Canal Corridor, the 72-kilometer new project involves a 37-kilometer new waterway and deepening and expansion of the existing 145-year-old Suez Canal along a 35-kilometer stretch.

The legendary project was mostly financed by investment certificates sold to Egyptians.

A maximum 49 ships a day can pass through the canal in two directions present. The Suez Canal Authority says the expansion could almost double the number.

The construction of the new canal was initially scheduled to take five years. It was then first reduced to three years and finally ordered by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to be completed in one year only, which is almost one third of the initial estimated period of implementation.