Supporting the development of the Suez Canal Economic Zone

Following the expansion of the Suez Canal in 2015 and the decision to declare the area adjacent to the strategic waterway a “special economic zone”, the OECD is supporting Egyptian Authorities to harness the potential of the 8% of global trade flowing through the Canal for job creation and economic growth, bringing tangible benefits to the Egyptian population.

Launched in February 2017, The EU-OECD Project: Supporting the development of the Suez Canal Economic Zone will assess existing capacities and provide a detailed action plan to build solid policy frameworks for the successful development of a dynamic and sustainable economic zone in Egypt. Three priority pillars have been identified:

• Support the Authority of the SCZone in creating a business-friendly regulatory environment through high-quality regulations; 
• Develop a sustainable model of infrastructure development by ensuring long-term financing and effective governance of infrastructure;
• Improve connectivity and integration of the SCZone infrastructure and activities into the domestic and global economy. 

Project Kick-off Workshop, 16 February 2017 in Cairo, Egypt

Activities: ‌

• Project Kick-off Workshop – 16 February 2017 in Cairo, Egypt.
• Workshop 1 – Infrastructure Governance and Financing in the SCZone – 3 May 2017 in Cairo, Egypt – Agenda available in English and Arabic.
• Workshop 2 – Global Connectivity and Maritime Clusters – 8 May 2017 in Cairo, Egypt – Agenda available in English and Arabic.
• Workshop 3 – Creating a Business-friendly Regulatory Environment – 21-22 May 2017 in Cairo, Egypt – Agenda available in English and Arabic.

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Project material:

• Project Overview: English | Arabic
• Kick-off Press Release
• SCZone Official Webpage

 OECD references:

• Recommendation on Regulatory Policy and Governance: English | Arabic
• Recommendation on Public Procurement: English | Arabic
• Policy Framework for Investment: English only
• Principles for Public Governance of Public-Private Partnerships: English only
• Integrity Framework for Public Investment: English only
• Options for Effective and Efficient Use of Tax Incentives for Investment
• G20/OECD (2016), Financial Instruments for Infrastructure
• OECD Initiative on Global Value Chains & Production Transformation
• OECD Port-Cities Programme
• ITF (2015), Port Hinterland Connectivity
• ITF (2016), Transport Infrastructure Needs for Future Trade Growth

Contact us: mena.competitiveness@oecd.org

This initiative is financed
by the European Union