Egypt Successfully Blocks Israeli Plans for Suez Canal Alternative, Says Deputy Prime Minister

Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel al-Wazir, has addressed ongoing reports regarding an Israeli plan to establish an alternative waterway to the Suez Canal, commonly known as the “Ben Gurion Canal.” During an appearance on the Kalam Fi al-Siasa program broadcast on the Extra News channel, Al-Wazir confirmed that Egypt has actively monitored and countered all proposed alternative maritime and land transport routes intended to bypass or diminish the importance of the Suez Canal.

Speaking on the evaluation of alternative trade routes, Al-Wazir discussed rumors surrounding projects such as the proposed Ben Gurion Canal—which would connect the Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat) to the Mediterranean Sea—alongside railway initiatives connecting the Arabian Gulf to Haifa or various ports located in Israel and Jordan. He noted that Egypt has performed thorough technical and economic feasibility assessments for every proposed route, concluding that none of these alternative canals or rail corridors possess the geographic, operational, or economic viability required to compete with or replace the Suez Canal.

Highlighting strategic upgrades to the Suez Canal corridor, the minister pointed out that Egypt has gone beyond relying merely on its natural geographic advantages, implementing concrete measures to secure the waterway's position in international commerce. These efforts include expanding maritime capacity through the New Suez Canal project to double operational capacity, decrease transit times, and accommodate larger modern container ships. Additionally, Egypt has advanced an integrated logistics network linking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean through high-speed rail systems, modern highways, and dry ports, while modernizing key Red Sea and Mediterranean port facilities such as Sokhna, East Port Said, Alexandria, and Gargoub to maintain its status as the regional logistics hub.

Reaffirming economic viability and geographic superiority, the Deputy Prime Minister concluded that constructing an artificial waterway through challenging mountainous terrain to rival the Suez Canal remains financially and operationally impractical. He stressed that the Suez Canal continues to serve as the most efficient, secure, and cost-effective shipping lane between East and West, effectively neutralizing any regional competing projects through continuous domestic infrastructure enhancements.