Egypt’s East Port Said (EPS) has surged into the top three most efficient container ports worldwide, climbing from 10th place in 2022, according to the World Bank’s latest Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) released on September 23.

The CPPI measures efficiency at 405 container ports globally based on vessel turnaround times and operational performance. EPS is now also the highest-ranked port in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), ahead of rivals such as Jebel Ali in Dubai.

Overall, port performance declined globally between 2020 and 2024 owing to the “Red Sea Crisis, challenges at the Panama Canal, and pandemic-related shocks,” the World Bank said, while noting that efficiency rose at the largest ports in high-income countries, and above all in East Asia.

“Several developing country ports saw noteworthy improvements to their scores and rankings, between 2020-2024, including Dakar (Senegal), Jawarharlal Nehru (India), Mersin (Türkiye), Port Said (Egypt), and Posorja (Ecuador).”

Egypt’s transport ministry has credited the port’s stronger performance as driven by infrastructure upgrades, terminal expansion and regulatory reforms, Ahram Online reports.

Recent investments include expanded berths, new cranes and digital traffic management systems, which have reduced waiting times for vessels. The Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT) at East Port Said is also expanding by 2.1mn twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), lifting EPS’s overall handling capacity to 6.6mn TEUs annually once complete. SCCT is majority-owned and operated by APM Terminals, which is part of the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group.

East Port Said at a glance

• Global CPPI rank (2024): 3rd
• Regional rank: 1st in MENA
• Throughput 2023: 4.44mn TEUs (+4.4% y/y)
• Throughput 2022: 4.25mn TEUs
• Capacity expansion planned: +2.1mn TEUs
• Projected capacity: 6.6mn TEUs annually
• Port area: 30mn m² (16mn m² water, 14mn m² land)

By volume, EPS still trails its main regional competitors. Morocco’s Tanger Med processed 8.6mn TEUs in 2023 and has capacity for about 9mn TEUs annually, according to the port authority, while Dubai’s Jebel Ali remains the regional heavyweight with 15.5mn TEUs handled in 2024 and a total capacity of nearly 19.4mn TEUs, according to DP World.

However, the Egyptian port’s efficiency edge allows it to compete strongly for transshipment and Red Sea–Mediterranean traffic despite its smaller scale.

Egyptian officials view EPS’s performance as integral to the development of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SEZ), which aims to attract investment into logistics, manufacturing and distribution, according to Ahram Online. Higher throughput at the port also provides some counterbalance to Egypt’s economic challenges, including a weak currency and rising debt obligations, by boosting foreign-currency revenues from shipping and related activities.

Maersk and other operators are expected to deepen their involvement at EPS, while Cairo hopes to leverage the port’s international profile to secure new investment in value-added industries. Sustaining a top-three global efficiency ranking will likely require consistent investment, regulatory clarity and stronger links to road and rail infrastructure as competition across the Red Sea and Gulf intensifies.

Egypt’s transport ministry has pledged to integrate EPS more closely with domestic transport networks and to promote the port’s new status as a marketing tool to attract global supply chains at a time of shifting trade routes, Ahram Online writes.

The annual CPPI report, which is in its fifth edition, is jointly produced by the World Bank Group and S&P Global Market Intelligence. It offers a comprehensive global benchmark of container ports, utilizing a robust dataset that includes more than 175,000 vessel calls and 247mn container moves.