Egypt’s Ain Sokhna Port has secured a place in the Guinness World Records after being officially recognised as the world’s deepest man-made port basin constructed on land, reaching a depth of 19 metres, in a milestone for the country’s maritime and logistics ambitions.
The certificate was presented to Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, during an inspection visit to the port. The award was handed over by accredited Guinness adjudicator Guinness World Records representative Kanzi El-Defrawy, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Transport.
El-Wazir said the achievement reflects the rapid transformation underway across Egypt’s infrastructure sector, particularly in maritime transport, noting that the record was delivered by Egyptian engineers, workers, and national companies. More than 200 Egyptian firms participated in the execution of the Ain Sokhna development works, he added, describing the project as a showcase for domestic engineering and construction capabilities.
The minister stressed that the strategic objective is to transform Ain Sokhna Port into a global hub on the Red Sea and a principal gateway for Egypt’s exports and imports. This, he said, supports the state’s broader vision of positioning Egypt as a regional centre for transport, logistics, and transit trade, strengthening its role in global supply chains.
Under a comprehensive development plan jointly implemented by the ministries of industry and transport, the port has undergone extensive upgrades. These include the excavation of five new basins to a depth of 19 metres, the handling of around 120 million cubic metres of excavation works, and dredging volumes of approximately 70 million cubic metres. Officials said the use of local drying and engineering solutions reduced dredging volumes by about 25 million cubic metres, lowering costs and environmental impact.
The project also encompasses the construction of 18 kilometres of new berths, 3.3 kilometres of breakwaters, and 17 kilometres of internal roads, alongside a 30-kilometre internal railway network connected to Egypt’s modern rail system. Ain Sokhna has also been linked to the high-speed electric rail network to ensure smoother cargo movement, faster turnaround times, and lower logistics costs.
El-Wazir said Egypt’s infrastructure drive is now clearly visible on the international stage, with Egyptian ports increasingly achieving advanced rankings and record-breaking benchmarks. The Guinness adjudicator confirmed that all technical requirements and verification procedures were fully met, officially certifying Ain Sokhna Port as the world record holder for the deepest on-land man-made port basin at 19 metres.
