Safaga's New Port 2 Terminal Receives First Container Ships, Gets Temporary Customs Status
Safaga's newly built Port 2 terminal has taken delivery of its first two container vessels, been designated a temporary customs district, and gained a new shipping line connecting it to other Red Sea ports.
1 August 2026
Safaga's new multipurpose terminal, known as Port 2 or 'Safaga 2,' received the first container ships in the port's history on Monday, 27 July: the Saskia A and the AN HAI, according to Al-Shorouk and Akhbar El-Yom. The arrivals came less than two months after the terminal began commercial trial operations in early June.
Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir called the docking 'a milestone in Safaga port history,' saying it shows the port-development strategy is drawing major shipping lines, Al-Shorouk reported. Red Sea Ports Authority chairman Major General Mohamed Abdel-Rahim Hamid and vice chairman Rear Admiral Osama Saleh attended the berthing and inspected cargo operations.
The call was also a first for the operator: Turkish carrier Arkas Line said the Saskia A's visit was its first-ever container call at Safaga, with its Egyptian arm handling vessel coordination, regulatory clearances and port agency services, Enterprise reported.
A ministerial decision has designated Port 2 as a temporary customs district for six months, according to Al-Masdar, allowing customs clearance to proceed at the new terminal while permanent arrangements are finalized.
The developments fit a wider plan to grow Safaga beyond its established role as a ferry and cruise port: the terminal anchors the planned Safaga–Qena–Abu Tartour logistics corridor linking the coast to the Nile valley and the phosphate mines inland.
None of the reports gave a timeline for when Port 2 is expected to reach full operational capacity.