JEDDAH, 7 October 2004 — Plans are under way to establish a causeway across the Red Sea, linking the northern Saudi port of Dhuba and Egyptian resort of Sharam El-Sheikh.
Egyptian Minister of Transport Essam Sharaf said the implementation of the $3 billion project would depend on the technical studies which are already at an advanced stage.
The causeway will not only facilitate transportation of pilgrims, tourists and goods but also strengthen political, social and economic relations between the two Arab countries.
“The two countries are convinced of the importance of establishing the causeway and its feasibility,” Sharaf said while inaugurating a port operation east of Port Said.
At present there are boat services from Dhuba to Egyptian ports of Safaga and Ghardaqa. There are about one million Egyptian workers in the Kingdom. More than 500,000 Saudi tourists visit Egypt annually.
The 25-km King Fahd Causeway linking Saudi Arabia with Bahrain is the second longest in the world. This engineering masterpiece, spanning long stretches of sea and reclaimed land, uses five bridges on 536 concrete pylons to link the two countries.
The Saudi-Bahrain causeway has not only streamlined the transport of goods and people but also strengthened the cultural and social bonds between the two GCC states.
