Two ships crossed the Suez Canal in both directions for the first time on Thursday, marking the boosting of Egypt's New Suez Canal.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has launched the country's newest mega project at a ceremony attended by world leaders.

The new 72-kilometer waterway, built in less than a year at a cost of EGP 60 billion, runs part of the way alongside the existing canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

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