DP World Sokhna, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based ports operator, is expected to imminently award the contract for the construction of a second basin at Egypt's Sokhna port, according to sources with knowledge of the project.

MEED understands the firms that submitted an offer for the contract include:

• China Harbour Engineering Company (Chec) (China)
• Archirodon (Greece)
• Six Construct (Belgium) /Orascom (Egypt)
• Bam International (Netherlands) / Van Oord (Netherlands)
• Jan de Nul (Luxembourg)

Bids for the contract were submitted in September last year.

The project is part of the long-term expansion of the port, which envisages the establishment of an integrated logistics area and a general cargo terminal.

Sokhna Port has a capacity to handle up to 14 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) container  and 4 million tonnes of general cargo annually.

It is understood that 14 global shipping lines including CGM-SMA, APL, Maersk and Cosco call at the port. Unlike other ports in Egypt that cater to trans-shipment traffic, Sokhna port primarily handles goods that are exported to or imported by Egypt.

It is located below the southern entrance to the Suez Canal and is the closest port to the capital Cairo, where it has extensive road and rail access.

In November last year, Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone Authority (SCZone) and DP World formed a joint venture to develop a 95 square-kilometre industrial and residential zone in Sokhna city.

SCZone owns 51 per cent of the joint venture, with the rest owned by DP World, which will also manage the zone.

The development is in line with the Egyptian government’s plan to develop the Suez Canal corridor and the new administrative capital by attracting foreign direct investment.

The industrial zone will target medical, electronics and communications, construction materials, logistics, textiles, automotive parts, food processing, energy production components and petrochemicals, the statement said.

The residential zone will span 20 square kilometres and is envisaged to include coastal villas, residential units, shopping and administrative centres, entertainment facilities, mosques, schools, hospitals, clubs and green spaces. It is expected to host up to 500,000 residents upon completion.

DP World began operating Sokhna port in 2008.