Over 216 million cubic meters of water-saturated sand has been removed so far as part of the Suez Canal Development Project, said Head of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish.
This represents about 84 percent of a total of 250 million cubic meters that should be dredged as part of the project, Mamish added.
Thirty-eight dredgers are working on the project, said Wagdi Zaki, the executive director supervising the dredging process.
The scope of works includes the widening and deepening of the Suez Canal over a length of 25 km and up to a depth of 24m.
The expansion project will pave the way for a transit of ships of up to 20 meters in draft, thus increasing the revenue of the canal to up to USD 17 billion a year.