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The governments of Saudi Arabia and Egypt informed about the finalization of the construction project of the 32-kilometer bridge that will connect Africa and Asia through the Red Sea. The bridge will stretch over the Tira Strait, connecting the sandy promontory of Ras Hamid in Saudi Arabia with the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Saczyk. Construction will cost four billion dollars.
Recently, the Minister of Transport Egypt Kamel Al-Wazir told Reuters that all planning works have already been finalized and construction can start at any time.
Plans regarding this connection were originally announced in 2016 by the King of Saudi Arabia Salman Ibn Abd al-Aziza. The monarch then assured that the project would be fully financed by its country.
At that time, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi suggested naming the building “the bridge of King Salman” in honor of the Saudi monarch. However, the Egyptians preferred the name “Moses Bridge” due to its symbolic location and cultural significance.
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The crossing planned for decades
The bridge is to significantly improve logistics, tourism and trade in the region, including creating a new more convenient and cheaper pilgrimage route to Mecca, potentially serving over a million travelers a year. Currently, sea transport between Egypt and Saudi Arabia is managed by Arab Bridge Maritime Company, which supports the fleet of 13 freight and passenger ships.
Plans to build a bridge on the Red Sea were already discussed in 1988, but were suspended due to political tensions prevailing in the region.
Author/author: MJZ/ADS
Source: PAP
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock