Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairperson of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), received President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore and his accompanying high-level delegation on Monday at the Authority’s headquarters in Ain Sokhna, as part of the President’s official visit to Egypt.
The Singaporean delegation included Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development; Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Health; and Dominic Goh, Singapore’s Ambassador to Cairo. They were joined by a number of members of parliament, senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, and Social Development, as well as representatives from Singaporean economic and educational institutions. The meeting was also attended by Egypt’s Minister of Education Mohamed Abdel-Latif, Egypt’s Ambassador to Singapore Ahmed Mostafa, and several SCZONE executives.
At the start of the meeting, Gamal El-Din underlined that the visit offered a valuable opportunity to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest. He presented an overview of SCZONE’s capabilities, which include four industrial zones and six seaports across the Red Sea and Mediterranean, supported by world-class infrastructure and a clear vision for integrating ports with industrial and logistics areas.
He highlighted that SCZONE currently hosts investments from more than 20 countries, reflecting international confidence in its role as a gateway to global trade and an integrated hub for industry and services.
In this context, Gamal El-Din extended an invitation to establish a dedicated Singaporean industrial zone within SCZONE, modelled on Singapore’s successful experiences in Asia. He also encouraged Singaporean companies to invest in projects for port terminal development and operation, as well as ship bunkering services using both conventional and green fuels. Such partnerships, he noted, would not only enhance bilateral cooperation but also strengthen global supply chains and international trade flows.
Following the discussions, President Shanmugaratnam was briefed on the development works at Ain Sokhna Port through an architectural model displayed at SCZONE’s headquarters. The visit concluded with a field tour of Sokhna Port, where the delegation reviewed the progress of ongoing development projects.
