Suez Canal Authority

Suez Canal Authority local headquarter in Port Said

Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is a state owned authority which owns, operates and maintains the Suez Canal. It was set up by Egypt to replace the Suez Canal Company in the 1950s which resulted in the Suez Crisis. After the UN intervened, Egypt agreed to pay millions of dollars to shareholders of the nationalized Suez Canal Company.

Establishment and Organisation

SCA^[1] was established by the nationalization act signed on 26 July 1956 by the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. The act at the same time nationalized the Suez Canal Company and transferred all its assets and employees to the SCA established by this act.^[2]

SCA is an independent authority having legal personality.

Its head office is in Ismailia.

Its Board of Directors comprises 14 persons, including the Chairman & Managing Director.

Chairmen of the Suez Canal Authority

Since nationalisation (1956-Present):

• Doctor Mohamed Helmy Bahgat Badawy (26 July 1956 – 9 July 1957)
• Engineer Mahmoud Younis (10 July 1957 – 10 October 1965)
• Engineer Mashhour Ahmed Mashhour (14 October 1965 – 31 December 1983)
• Engineer Mohamed Ezzat Adel (1 January 1984 – December 1995)
• Admiral Ahmed Ali Fadel (22 January 1996 – Present)

Presidents of the Suez Canal Company Pre-Nationalisation

Before nationalisation (1858-1956):

• Ferdinand de Lesseps (15 December 1858 – 7 December 1894)
• Jules Guichard (17 December 1892 – 17 July 1896) (acting for de Lesseps to 7 December 1894)
• Auguste-Louis-Albéric, prince d'Arenberg (3 August 1896 – 1913)
• Charles Jonnart (19 May 1913 – 1927)
• Louis de Vogüé (4 April 1927 – 1 March 1948)
• François Charles-Roux (4 April 1948 – 26 July 1956)

Assets, Duties and Responsibilities

SCA owns the Suez Canal and all areas, buildings and equipment pertaining thereto.

SCA issues the Rules of Navigation, fixes the tolls for the use of the canal and collects them. The tolls are expressed in XDR and collected in USD, GBP, EUR and other currencies. In 2008, the total revenue in tolls was 5,381 mio USD for the passage of a total of 21,415 vessels.

SCA is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Suez Canal, for the safety of the traffic and for all other matters relating thereto.

According to the nationalisation act, SCA is bound by the Constantinople Convention of 29 October 1888 which grants the right of free access and use of the canal at equal conditions to all ships, commercial ships and ships of war, in times of peace or of war, even to ships of belligerent parties.

SCA is responsible for the computerized traffic management supported by radar, for the 14 pilot stations and their pilots. Since 1996, SCA operates the Maritime Training and Simulation Center for its pilots.

SCA operates some 60 ships and boats, such as tugs, dredgers, cranes, and smaller boats.

According to SCA's web site, its activities also comprise:

• 14 ferry connections with 36 ferry boats;
• the Ahmed Hamdi road tunnel;
• the Nile Shipyard;
• the roads alongside the canal;
• a silk production in a farm at Serabium using treated sanitary waste water for irrigation;
• water plants in the canal cities;
• 12,000 housing units;
• a hospital in Ismailia and emergency hospitals at both ends of the canal;
• 4 schools and
• various sports and recreational centers.

References

1. ^ This article is based on the information given in SCA's website
2. ^ Text of the Nationalisation Act in http://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/

External links

• Suez Canal Authority official site
• Port Said Port Authority
• Egyptian Maritime Data Bank, a service of the Egyptian government