Dubai-based ports operator DP World has extended the deadline for the submission of bids for the contract to build a second basin at Egypt’s Sokhna Port to 23 September.

The original bid deadline was 30 August.

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

DP World Sokhna CEO Ajay Singh said in May the port grew its market share in Egypt’s cargo handling sector by 1 per cent in 2016.

Singh also revealed plans to introduce new services at the port including passenger transport services and roll-on/roll-off ships before the end of 2017.

It is understood that 14 global shipping lines including CGM-SMA, APL, Maersk and Cosco call at the port, which primarily handles goods exported or imported by Egypt.

Sokhna Port, which DP World began operating in 2008, has a capacity to handle up to 14 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers and 4 million tonnes of general cargo annually.

Negotiations for another port project in Egypt are under way. Alexandria Port Authority (APA) and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) are currently negotiating the financial terms of the contract to build a multipurpose terminal at Alexandria port.

The terminal will have an area of 500,000 square metres, with berths extending 1,800 metres and with a depth of 17 metres.

The scheme is estimated to cost $700m.