ISMAILIA, Egypt — Five months after the new Suez Canal opened, Egypt is kicking off a grand promotional campaign, starting with “Opportunities and Challenges,” a global navigation conference set for Feb. 22-24 in Cairo. 

Realizing that the canal faces competition from other shipping routes, the Suez Canal Authority will begin marketing on an international scale, chairman Mohab Mamish said at a Jan. 17 news conference in Ismailia.

According to Mamish’s statements during the conference, the campaign will include international tours — both in the region and beyond — to attract new shipping lines to the Suez Canal through meeting with representatives of shipping companies. In addition, all agencies involved in the maritime transport industry will be invited to attend and participate in the global conference. Mamish said the goal of the conference will be to discuss new developments in maritime transport and harnessing the Suez Canal’s abilities to take advantage of these developments.

“This is how the new Suez Canal can be marketed in all global shipping forums — ensuring optimal use of the canal and maximizing profits,” Mamish noted. He also said that the marketing campaign will be accompanied by a flexible pricing policy for passage fees, to attract more kinds of shipping lines that do not currently use the canal.