Egypt holds experimental run on new Suez Canal and the first cargo ship have passed through the canal amid some serious security arrangements

Finally, Egypt has opened second Suez Canal for the ships, but at the initial stage they have held the experimental shipping on the canal. Egyptian authorities have given the very high level of security to the passing ships as they have found several news about the explosives which were fixed on the canal banks. Several extremists were blamed for this activity. Official opening of the canal will be due in the next month and before its official opening, authorities have decided to test the canal.

Less than a year ago, the construction of new lane was started alongside the existing canal and this new 72km long canal route will allow two-way traffic for the larger cargo ships.

Numerous container ships from around the world effectively and successfully crossed it on Saturday during the trial run. The security was provided by the naval ships and helicopters. According to the officials, the main reason for the strong security was The Sinai Peninsula, a strong base of Islamic militants.

This place is adjacent to the border of Egypt on the canal side.  These militants have killed hundreds of people since Mohammed Morsi was overthrown by the military.

The Old Suez Canal was opened for the shipping about one and a half century ago to link the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. Now with the massive increase in cargo traffic, there was a need of new canal with larger capacity. Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh Al-sisi told the media that expansion of the world’s busiest shipping route will boost the trade and open new employment opportunities for the Egyptians.

Seven percent of world’s total sea cargo business is currently handled through Suez Canal but with the expansion of the canal, this ratio will definitely increase. This new expansion of the canal has cost about $8.5 billion and it was carried out by the army around the clock. After the successful trial run, the formal inauguration of the canal is expected this week now.

The project has been written off as “a rebirth” for Egypt by the crown head of the Suez Canal Authority, Adm Mohab Mameesh.

But it does have its opponents. Some professionals are doubtful about the profit forecasts and be certain of the money that it should have been spent somewhere else. “It’s a nationalistic development first of all, and that’s very hard to enumerate,” Cairo-based investment analyst Angus Blair told the British media. On Saturday, Adm Mameesh also exposed ideas to construct another canal near East Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea. It is likely to cost about $60m and will be 9.5km (6 miles) long, according to the sources of Reuters.