Al-Arish Port Code EGEAR — North Sinai Sea-Salt & Bulk Terminal
Al-Arish (EGEAR) — UN/LOCODE and port profile in North Sinai. Upgraded 14 m draft, 50,000 DWT. Sea salt direct from Bardawil Lagoon plus bulk cargo. Smaller vessel sizes, niche premium grades.
Al-Arish Port — upgraded North Sinai bulk and sea-salt hub, closest port to the Bardawil pans
Al-Arish (port code / UN/LOCODE EGEAR) is the upgraded Mediterranean port serving Egypt's North Sinai industrial cluster and sea-salt origin (Bardawil Lagoon + El-Arish solar pans). A multi-phase expansion completed through 2025–2026 transformed Al-Arish from a small coastal port into a regional bulk + general-cargo hub capable of handling Handymax / Supramax vessels up to 50,000 DWT. Egypt Globe Group's North Sinai saltworks laboratory and its port-side QC team sit within 40 km of each other, so Bardawil-origin sea salt is sampled at the pan, released, trucked the shortest possible distance and re-verified at the port before the Bill of Lading.
The upgrade closes the historic capacity gap. Pre-2024 only Handysize vessels could call Al-Arish, forcing larger sea-salt lots to truck inland to Damietta or Port Said East at extra cost and delay. Post-upgrade a single Supramax can load 45–50k MT of Bardawil-origin sea salt directly at source — no inland transfer, lower FOB, shorter lead time.
Port profile
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| UN/LOCODE (port code) | EGEAR |
| Location | North Sinai Governorate, Mediterranean coast, ~40 km east of Bardawil Lagoon and the El-Arish solar pans |
| Type | Multi-purpose deep-water — bulk, container, break-bulk, project cargo |
| Operator | Egyptian Ports Authority — overseen by SCZONE (Suez Canal Economic Zone) |
| Total berth length | Expanded from 1.4 km to 3.665 km (+2.25 km new quay) |
| Berths | General Cargo Berth #1: 250 m · General Cargo Berth #2: 1,000 m · Multipurpose Berth: 915 m |
| Navigational draft | Deepened to 14 m (was 9–10 m) |
| Typical vessel range | Handysize 15,000 DWT → Handymax 45,000 DWT → Supramax up to 50,000 DWT |
| Bulk loading rate | Handysize (~10–25k DWT): ~10,000 MT/day; Handymax / Supramax (30–50k DWT): higher than the small-vessel rate — the post-upgrade silo + conveyor + ship-loader infrastructure enables faster loading on large lots |
| Storage | 425,000 m² of new storage yards, warehouses and dedicated silos for sand, cement and locally produced bulk goods; covered + open bulk yards |
| Marine infrastructure | Breakwater and supporting marine infrastructure delivered in the 2024–2026 phases |
| Salt source proximity | Bardawil Lagoon 40 km west (Egypt's largest hyper-saline lagoon); El-Arish solar pans adjacent; multiple smaller North Sinai pans within 80 km |
| Inland saving | Loading at Al-Arish vs Damietta or Ain Sokhna saves ~150–250 km of inland transport for sea-salt cargo |
Commodities loaded
| Commodity | Suitability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian sea salt (Bardawil + El-Arish) | Excellent | Closest port to source; raw 94–97 %, washed 97.5–98 %, double-washed ≥ 99 % NaCl |
| Cement + clinker | High | New cement silos and 14 m draft enable Handymax shipments |
| Industrial salt / mineral bulk | High | Post-upgrade silo + conveyor system |
| Sand + aggregate | High | Dedicated storage yards |
| Fertilizer | High | Handymax-capable for moderate-size lots |
| Project cargo / break-bulk | High | New multipurpose berth |
| Container FCL | Medium | Limited but growing |
Typical lanes
Loading & QA protocol
| Gate | Control | Evidence | Who · frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction / source | North Sinai saltworks laboratory samples each harvest lot at the pan; washed and double-washed lots re-assayed after processing | Source lab report | EGG saltworks laboratory · every lot |
| Stockpile | Port bulk yard and silos segregated by lot; covered storage for washed grades | Stockpile map, lot register | Port operations · continuous |
| Port laboratory | Composite sample per ISO / ASTM sampling plan; CoA issued before NOR acceptance and B/L; out-of-spec lot rejected at the port | Per-lot CoA | Al-Arish QC team · every vessel |
| Independent inspection | Hold inspection, sampling during loading, draft survey, witness test against EN 16811-1 / BS 3247 / GOST 13830 as contracted | Certificate of Inspection | TÜV Austria / SGS / Intertek / Bureau Veritas · per shipment when contracted |
| Laycan & loading | NOR on arrival; SOF signed by Master, agent and EGG; ~10,000 MT/day Handysize, higher for Handymax / Supramax; Time Sheet basis for laytime | NOR, SOF, Time Sheet, Mate's Receipt | Port operations + agency · every vessel |
| Documents | Mate's Receipt + B/L; Certificate of Origin (Egyptian Chamber of Commerce stamped; EUR.1 for EU); CoA / MTC; PSI certificate; GOEIC export clearance | Full document set | Documentation desk · every shipment |
How Egypt Globe Group uses Al-Arish
Pelot Salt and EGG Salt book Al-Arish for any sea-salt cargo originating from the Bardawil and El-Arish pans where the lot fits the 50,000 DWT / 14 m draft envelope. For container FCL cargo or cargo above 50k MT the group routes to Port Said East (18.5 m, container) or Damietta (15 m, deep-water bulk). Typical accounts: European de-icing sea salt buyers under EN 16811-1 and SS-EN 16811-1, water-treatment and industrial-chemistry buyers of washed sea salt — see de-icing-grade salt and the industrial salt in Egypt market page.
Standards & documentation
- Cargo conformity is certified against the contract standard — EN 16811-1, BS 3247, ASTM D632, AASHTO M-143, GOST 13830, SS-EN 16811-1 for salt; EN 197-1 and ASTM C150 for cement.
- Document set: trade documentation. Inspection protocol: inspection & quality control. Port operations: port services. Group systems: quality & compliance. Vessel classes: vessel sizes.
Request a quote
State the sea-salt grade, tonnage and destination; the chartering desk confirms whether the lot fits the Al-Arish envelope or should load at Port Said East or Damietta.
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