President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held a meeting Thursday with Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamis to follow up progress in the Suez Canal Area Development Project, said Spokesman for the Presidency Alaa Yousef.

Present at the meeting were Engineer Mohamed Yahia Zaki, Managing Director of Dar Al-Handasah Company and Dr. Hani Serri El-Din, legal consultant of the New Suez Canal Project.

The General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone is receiving increasing requests from major international companies to invest in East Port Said area, which is part of the Suez Canal zone, Mamish said during the meeting.

Mamish noted that a recent Asian tour paid by President Sisi has provided information about the available investment opportunities in the project that would change the area into a main hub for global industry and trade.

The meeting also tackled measures taken to develop Ain Sokhna zone.

For his part, Zaki presented the blueprint for the development project of Ain Sokhna, which is part of the Suez Canal development project.

The project is meant to provide 500,000 job opportunities and develop infrastructure in the zone, Zaki added.

President Sisi directed to continue works to start implementing the general plan for developing Ain Sokhna and put the executive plans for other zones in the project.