The digging rate after 140 days of work at the Suez Canal Development Project reached 162 million cubic meters on Thursday, said Chief of Staff of the Army's Engineering Authority Major General Kamel el-Wazir.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, el-Wazir said the number of workers at the site of the new project hit 22,000 engineers, technicians and drivers.
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 global hub due to its logistics and industrial services.
The project was funded through granting investment certificates to Egyptians with 12% returns, and in eight days, more than 60 billion pounds were collected.