Expansion of Suez Canal dedicated

ISMAILIA, Egypt – In a defining moment of his young presidency, Egypt’s Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi presided Thursday over the unveiling of a major expansion of the Suez Canal that he hailed as a historic feat needed to revive the country’s ailing economy after years of unrest.

Upbeat and clearly relishing the pomp-filled occasion, el-Sissi nevertheless conceded that the $8.5 billion project will not bring a quick economic windfall to a country roiled by violence and unrest since 2011. Its completion, he said, was but the first of a 1,000-step journey Egyptians must take toward economic recovery.

“Egyptians have made a huge effort so as to give humanity this gift for development and construction,” el-Sissi said, his words interrupted at times by the horns of container ships using expanded waterway.

The magnitude of the project, its completion on schedule 13 months into his presidency and the large high-level foreign representation at its unveiling were likely to bolster el-Sissi’s already high standing among many Egyptians – pushing aside, at least for a time, his reputation as an authoritarian leader with little regard for human rights or liberties.

Playing into his hands is a clear shift by many Egyptians away from the need for democratic freedoms and toward economic survival as a top priority – not surprising in a country where nearly half the population is below or hovering just above the poverty line.

Wearing his ceremonial military uniform and trademark dark sunglasses on a sweltering August day, el-Sissi flew to the site aboard a military helicopter and immediately boarded the same monarchy-era yacht that dignitaries sailed on during the canal’s inauguration in 1869.

Tight security was in place at an elaborate ceremony held in the canal city of Ismailia and attended by foreign dignitaries, including French President Francois Hollande, King Abdullah of Jordan and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The canal expansion has been trumpeted as a historic achievement by pro-government media and has revived the nationalistic personality cult built around the 60-year-old el-Sissi, who as army chief led the overthrow of an Islamist president in 2013 and was elected to office last year in a landslide vote.

Egyptian flags adorned streets across Egypt, along with banners declaring support for el-Sissi and hailing his latest achievement. Patriotic songs, some written especially for the occasion, blared from TV and radio stations on Thursday, declared a national holiday by the government.

Banks and most businesses were closed and authorities, in sharp contrast to the government’s zero tolerance for political demonstrations, allowed people to gather on streets and squares to celebrate the occasion.