Population Minister Hala Youssef Saturday hailed workers at the New Suez Canal project for their great efforts over the past year.

In a statement, the minister said establishing a giant project as the new Suez Canal required a brave leader like President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who loves his country and trusts its capabilities and its people's ability to work hard at difficult times.

The minister also praised the vital role played by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority in the implementation of the project and providing full support to complete it on time.

The New Suez Canal is not only a national project, but also a national dream of the Egyptian people who look for a better life and a bright future, the minister said.

The project will coincide with establishing urban and agricultural communities that will attract a large number of people, provide new job opportunities and help in the reconstruction of Sinai, she added.

It will also make Egypt an industrial, logistical and global trading center, the minister said.

Egypt will inaugurate the New Suez Canal on August 6, which will massively increase the capacity of the existing canal and offer an important opportunity to boost the country’s struggling economy.

Called the Suez Canal Corridor, the 72-kilometer new project involves a 37-kilometer new waterway and deepening and expansion of the existing 145-year-old Suez Canal along a 35-kilometer stretch.

The project aims at expanding the Suez Canal region's role as a global, industrial, and logistics center that is environmentally balanced with an integrated economy.

It is also projected to become a global hub due to its logistics and industrial services.