Sisi completes 1 year in office

Almost a year into the inauguration of Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian president has launched a number of mega projects meant to revive the economy, atop of which the New Suez Canal.

Dry digging of the New Suez Canal is 100 percent complete and dredging operations are almost over.

The New Suez Canal project was launched in August 2014. The 72km-long canal is dug alongside the original waterway.

The project is meant to increase the Suez Canal’s capacity to 97 passing ships per day up from the current rate of 49 per day.

Upon completion, the project would see canal revenues increase by 259%. The New Suez Canal is planned to be inaugurated on August 6.

Sisi has also given the go-ahead to another mega project - an international logistics hub to store grains at Damietta Port.

The project is meant to secure needs of the local and regional markets alike.

The Egypt Economic Development Conference was also held in the first year of the four-year presidential term of Sisi.

The event was held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el Sheikh in March with more than 2,000 representatives from 52 countries taking part.

A number of memorandums of understanding were signed then with the aim to lure more foreign investments, particularly in the fields of energy, communications, agriculture and infrastructure.

Phase one of the New Ismailia City has also been inaugurated.

A relief plan has been outlined to add 3.6 gigawatts to the national power grid as of June 1.

President Sisi has also been to a number of Arab, African, Asian and European countries, as well as the US, in an effort to regain Egypt's leading position at the regional and international levels.

His first overseas visit as president of Egypt was to Algeria on June 24, 2014.

His last visit was to Hungary on June 4, 2015.