A new center to guide ships at the New Suez Canal has been set up, almost a week before the official opening of the new waterway, official sources said on Monday.

"The center is a three-storey ship and is equipped with advanced navigation equipment and devices," the sources added.

The countdown is ticking for the inauguration of the New Suez Canal, which is planned on August 6.

Parallel to the original Suez Canal, the new waterway is expected to help revive Egypt's ailing economy by increasing annual ship traffic revenues, luring huge foreign investments and creating thousands of job opportunities.