Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Mohab Mamish signed an agreement Wednesday with Klaus Laursen, CEO of the Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT), to upgrade the East Port Said Port.

The agreement will be implemented in cooperation with the Armed Forces Engineering Authority.

The upgraded port and a new side canal will allow ships to immediately cross the East Port Said Port instead of waiting for seven hours, Mamish said.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi wants the project to be implemented as soon as possible, the SCA chairman added.

Digging operations of the new side canal will start next week, Mamish said, noting that it should go into operation before the end of 2016.

Work is also underway to deepen the harbor to 20 meters to be able to accommodate giant ships, he added.

The project will help establish promising industrial and logistics zones around the port, thus contributing to achieving comprehensive development in the canal region and Sinai peninsula.