History

In 1998, the Egyptian Container Handling Company (ECHCO) started in Adabya Port which is located 25 km before Sokhna. It was the entity that owned the Sokhna Port Development Company (SPDC) afterward. In 1999, a consortium of investors set up SPDC, they presented and were awarded a bid to the Egyptian government for the further development, management, and operation of a port at Sokhna.

Sokhna Port was developed and became operational within a mere 24 months, becoming Egypt's first fully automated port and widely acknowledged as Egypt's prime Public-Private Partnership.

The port capitalizes on the explosive growth in the maritime trade and takes maximum advantage of the wide variety of resources available in Egypt. To fulfill its commitment to sustainable economic development and attract investment, a comprehensive master plan was developed, stretching to 2020.

By 2007, the port had achieved several successes, attracting investment through a range of projects, either now completed or currently under construction. These projects comprise an investment of millions of dollars, bringing a range of benefits to the local economy and Egypt.

The projects include a livestock project, a sugar refinery, and the first phase of a liquid bulk terminal, together with specialized warehousing, storage, and handling facilities in support of an industry located outside the port. Through the provision of efficient port services and by transforming Egypt's port sector, through the introduction of private competition, the port has, and will continue to have, a significant economic impact on Egypt.

In the Spring of 2008, Sokhna Port's location, competitive advantages, and successes secured the investment of DP World, which took over the operation, development, and management of the port.

In 2010, DP world signed an agreement with the Egyptian government to start basin 2 which was supposed to duplicate the capacity of the port.

In 2010-2011, DP world started expansions & development plans to increase basin 1 capacity which will increase the capacity of basin 1 to reach 1.1 million TEU/year.