Posted on May 23, 2026
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) and the Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development (Mostaqbal Misr) signed a strategic cooperation protocol to develop and dredge Egypt’s lakes, as part of state efforts to restore and rehabilitate the country’s water bodies under directives from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by SCA Chairman Osama Rabie and Mostaqbal Misr Executive Director Bahaa El-Ghannam at the Suez Canal Yacht Marina in Ismailia.
Under the agreement, the SCA will carry out dredging and excavation works in selected lakes according to the plans, depths, and locations set by the Mostaqbal Misr Authority.
Rabie said the Suez Canal Authority was keen to expand its developmental role and support national projects with economic and environmental impact through cooperation with state institutions, praising Mostaqbal Misr’s achievements in supporting sustainable development within a short period.
“The Suez Canal Authority is a key partner in projects to develop and dredge Egypt’s lakes,” Rabie said, citing the authority’s accumulated engineering and technical expertise in dredging operations, as well as the capabilities of its affiliated companies.
He pointed to the authority’s previous dredging and rehabilitation work in Bardawil, Manzala, Edku, and Mariout lakes, undertaken as part of state efforts to restore ecological balance and maximize the lakes’ economic and environmental value, particularly to support Egypt’s fisheries sector.
Rabie also reviewed the SCA’s strategy to diversify revenue sources beyond vessel transit fees by expanding economic activities, localizing maritime industries, developing advanced logistics services, and participating in major national projects.
For his part, El-Ghannam noted that the Mostaqbal Misr Agency was implementing the state’s strategy to develop Egypt’s lakes and maximize their economic and environmental returns by setting development priorities and defining work areas in coordination with relevant authorities.
He said the plan aims to rehabilitate the lakes, improve the efficiency of natural resource use, and increase productivity in ways that support food security, develop fish resources, and create sustainable, productive communities in surrounding areas.
El-Ghannam welcomed cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority, stating that its specialized expertise and capabilities would help improve the efficiency of development and dredging works in line with the latest environmental standards and the objectives of the national project.
He added that the authority is working through an integrated scientific approach based on environmental and water studies to ensure long-term sustainability and preserve the ecological balance of Egypt’s lakes.
The protocol was signed by Tarek Gharib El-Shamy, director of the SCA’s dredgers department, and Major General Khaled Salah, assistant director of the Mostaqbal Misr Agency.
On the sidelines of the signing ceremony, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in other fields and agreed to form a joint working group to explore future partnerships as part of broader coordination among state institutions.
Egypt has spent years rehabilitating its northern lakes as part of a national strategy to restore ecosystems, increase fish production, strengthen food security, and reverse decades of environmental degradation and encroachment.
The government has carried out large-scale lake cleaning and development projects nationwide in recent years, alongside fish-farming initiatives aimed at reducing fish imports and narrowing the gap between domestic production and consumption.
Lake Bardawil in North Sinai has been a flagship project. In 2022, Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with Belgium’s Dredging International NV on the sidelines of COP27 to study a joint project to restore the lake’s ecosystem and support broader Sinai development plans.
The project aimed to improve water circulation, restore vegetation cover, expand agricultural activity, and increase fish production, while creating up to one million jobs, according to Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie.
Egyptian officials framed the Bardawil project as part of Egypt Vision 2030 and linked it to the Sustainable Development Goals, environmental restoration, and climate resilience in Sinai. The project also sought international financing support through public-private partnership mechanisms.
The broader rehabilitation campaign has included dredging and cleaning operations in lakes Manzala, Mariout, Edku, and Burullus, which had suffered for decades from pollution, illegal encroachments, shrinking water areas, sediment accumulation, and declining fish stocks.
Environmental and fisheries studies have also highlighted the strategic importance of Egypt’s northern lakes. The five Mediterranean lakes, Mariout, Edku, Burullus, Manzala, and Bardawil, are considered internationally significant wetlands and major sources of fish production and biodiversity.
