Media Spotlight | The Phase III Expansion of the TEDA Cooperation Zone Project Has Been Successfully Completed

Source: People’s Daily Online

Original Title | “Phase III Expansion of the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone Successfully Completed”

Reporter | Huang Peizhao

On May 7, the Phase III Expansion of the Sino‑Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, constructed by China Railway 20th Bureau Group, was successfully completed. Located at the heart of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the project has not only enhanced the park’s infrastructure but also delivered tangible benefits to the Egyptian people, boosting local employment and incomes while driving industrial upgrading—thus adding another people‑centered achievement to the joint efforts of China and Egypt in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative.

The project is located in the expansion zone of the TEDA Cooperation Zone, within the Suez Canal Economic Zone. It lies approximately 120 kilometers north of Cairo and just 40 kilometers south of Port Said, serving as a vital hub that connects the markets of Europe, Asia, and Africa. As an important supporting infrastructure under the China–Egypt joint Belt and Road Initiative, its completion will directly contribute to improving local livelihoods and fostering the growth of industries along Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Corridor.

“In the past, finding a job meant traveling all the way to Cairo; now, I can secure stable employment right at my doorstep, and I’ve even acquired professional skills that have more than doubled my monthly income—plus, my child can attend a better school,” said Mohamed, a local technical expert. “The project has achieved a localization rate of over 95% in its workforce, creating jobs for thousands of local residents in the surrounding area,” added Ru Hong, the project leader. By providing skills training, the initiative has enabled local workers to earn a living through their expertise, fundamentally improving their families’ livelihoods.

Since construction began in August 2025, the project has faced a series of severe challenges, with schedule compression and logistical bottlenecks being the most pressing. At the outset, the original 12-month construction timeline was shortened to nine months due to the urgent need to accelerate development of the Suez Canal Corridor Economic Zone—a reduction of nearly one-quarter. This drastic time cut placed immense pressure on quality control, safe execution, and the seamless coordination of work sequences. To address these difficulties, the project team promptly refined the construction plan, transforming traditional sequential processes—such as roadworks, civil engineering, and installation—into an integrated, cross‑functional approach with seamless handoffs. By strategically allocating manpower, materials, and equipment, implementing visual management and milestone‑based controls, and rigorously enforcing procedure‑by‑procedure acceptance protocols, the team successfully completed the main construction phase on schedule while maintaining uncompromised quality and safety standards. Meanwhile, in response to the logistical challenge of sourcing key construction materials from China, the team collaborated with multiple stakeholders to map out the entire supply chain and streamline customs clearance procedures, ensuring timely delivery of materials. Leveraging “China speed” and Chinese quality, they flawlessly executed all construction milestones.

This project is one of the largest municipal infrastructure undertakings to date in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone. Its core construction scope encompasses three major systems—park roads, water supply and drainage networks, and electrical infrastructure—comprehensively establishing a well‑functioning, reliably operated municipal support system that effectively meets the production and operational needs of enterprises within the zone. Beyond enhancing the park’s physical infrastructure, the project delivers tangible benefits to the Egyptian people, boosting local employment and incomes while driving industrial upgrading, thereby adding another people‑centered achievement to the China–Egypt joint Belt and Road Initiative.

The completion of the project serves as a crucial pillar for industrial upgrading and regional development. The Suez Canal Economic Zone is Egypt’s national-level strategic platform, with the TEDA Cooperation Zone acting as its core implementation vehicle. The project has enhanced the park’s supporting infrastructure, boosted its capacity to host businesses, attracted more enterprises, fostered industrial clusters, and accelerated Egypt’s industrialization. At the same time, it has helped alleviate employment pressures and improve the skills and qualifications of the workforce.

Abdul, the project director of Egypt’s Teda Industrial Zone Development Company, commented: “This is a model of Egypt–China friendly cooperation, creating jobs and increasing incomes for tens of thousands of people while ensuring family stability. In the future, it will drive industrial development not only in the Suez region but throughout Egypt, enabling the fruits of Egypt–China collaboration to benefit an even wider population.”

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