Posted on December 8, 2025
With 258 million cubic meters of sediment removed in just 12 months—one of the largest dredging operations ever undertaken by humankind—the New Suez Canal reshaped the Egyptian desert and became an absolute landmark of world maritime engineering. Few modern works have managed to alter the dynamics of international trade as profoundly and as rapidly as the New Suez Canal, inaugurated in 2015. In just 12 months of intensive operationEngineering teams from Egypt and international consortia removed 258 million m³ of sediment, according to official data from Suez Canal Authority (SCA) — one of the largest dredging operations ever carried out in human history.
The project was not limited to simply expanding the existing canal. It transformed a 35-kilometer stretch into a two-way navigation system.This allowed vessels to travel simultaneously in opposite directions, drastically reducing waiting times. This gave Egypt a new strategic role in global maritime transport.
This gigantic scale of dredging in such a short time is the structural heart of the project’s grandeur — and what places the New Suez Canal alongside the greatest maritime engineering works ever built.
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Derive Hidden Patterns In Data 258 million m³ of sediment removed: a feat that defies human capacity to move earth and water. MOVER 258 million m³ A mass of sand, mud, and rock in just one year means, in practical terms:
- excavate a volume equivalent to more than 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools,
- to remove more material than was used in the construction of dozens of megadams,
- to surpass the dredging rate of many countries in projects accumulated over decades.
- This impressive volume has placed Egypt among the world leaders in dredging engineering, requiring:
A duplication that accelerated naval traffic and repositioned Egypt in maritime trade. The main objective was clear: Reduce congestion in the Suez Canal and increase daily traffic capacity.The expansion allowed:
- reduce the crossing time from 18 hours to 11,
- increase the number of daily ships from 49 to 97 (projected capacity),
- to improve the energy and operational efficiency of the route,
- To increase the safety of maneuvers and avoid long waiting periods in the Red Sea.
The Suez Canal connects Asia to Europe via the shortest existing route, and any delays directly impact the trade of oil, containers, grains, and manufactured goods.
With the New Suez Canal, Egypt not only expanded its strategic importance, but also created a more stable and predictable alternative for international maritime logistics.
Heavy engineering in a challenging environment: unstable ground, high speeds, and continuous operation.
Large-scale dredging required complex solutions:
- removal of deep layers of sediment without compromising navigability,
- Management of tides, winds and internal currents.
- dredgers operating side by side with millimeter precision,
- Continuous transport of sediments to planned disposal areas.
The surrounding desert also posed logistical challenges: it was necessary to build temporary roads, set up support bases, and transport materials and workers to remote and arid regions.
Coordination between international teams — from Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, and the United Arab Emirates — was essential to maintaining the accelerated pace of the work, transforming an operation normally planned for 3–5 years into one completed in just 12 months.
