COUNTRY/TOPIC: Egypt – Irrigation Projects for the Al-Salam Canal

Source: http://www.mwri.gov.eg/En/project_sinai.html - Ministry of Water Resources and

Irrigation
Description/Notes: 1 feddan = 24 kirat = 4200 square metres (m²) = 1.038 acres

Summary:
1) There are two phases to the North Sinai Development project
a) Constructing Al-Salam Canal in front of Damietta Lock and Dam with the purpose of
reclaiming 220 thousand feddans west of the Suez Canal
i) This has already been completed
ii) The reclaimed area reached 180 thousand feddans. Additional 20 thousand feddans
are being reclaimed.
b) Building a siphon under the Suez Canal and constructing Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah
Canal to reclaim 400 thousand feddans east of the Suez Canal.
i) This has not been completed
ii) Water was released in 100 thousand feddans in areas of Sahl Al-Teena and Ganoub
Al-Kantara Sharq where nearly 35 thousand feddans were reclaimed and cultivated.

NORTH SINAI DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

September 27 2009
http://www.mwri.gov.eg/En/project_sinai.html

Sinai Peninsula represents Egypt's eastern strategic extension and its historical link to its Arab
neighbors. In the framework of a comprehensive development towards a better future shining
with welfare and growth, the Nile water flows to our beloved Sinai to endow it with life and
spread prosperity, connecting such a precious part of our country to the Nile valley area.

The project consists of two phases:

Phase One

Constructing Al-Salam Canal in front of Damietta Lock and Dam with the purpose of reclaiming
220 thousand feddans west of the Suez Canal; Infrastructure works were completed. Nearly 180
thousand feddans are currently being cultivated.

Phase Two

Building a siphon under the Suez Canal and constructing Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah Canal to
reclaim 400 thousand feddans east of the Suez Canal.

Project Location

The project area is extended in governorates of Damietta, Al-Daqahlia, Al-Sharqia, Port Said,
Ismailia and north Sinai; it lies between longitudes 31° 45` & 34° 05` and latitudes 30° 42` &
31° 24`.
Project Objectives

 Reclaiming and cultivating 400 thousand feddans using water from Al-Salam Canal
extension in north Sinai area (Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah Canal) and creating a new and
integrated agricultural and industrial development community.
 Strengthening and consolidating Egypt’s policy to increase agricultural production.
 Establishing new urban communities with the purpose of mitigating the density in the
highly-populated areas in the valley.
 Linking the Sinai region to the Delta; making it a natural extension to the valley.
 Utilization of human potentials in development and generating employment.

Water Resources

 Estimated water requirements needed for reclaiming and cultivating 620 thousand
feddans (220 thousand feddans west of the Suez Canal and 400 thousand feddans east of
the Suez Canal) are nearly 4.45 billion cubic meters of fresh Nile water mixed with
agricultural drainage water at a ratio of 1:1 so that salinity ratio would not exceed 1000
particles per million along with selecting the proper crops combinations.

Project Command Area:

Project command area – in Phase One – amounts to 220 thousand feddans that are distributed as
follows:

 Al-Atawy, Al-Mataria Al-Baharia and Al-Mataria Al-Keblia, with a command area of 13

thousand feddans that extend in Al-Dakahlia governorate
 Sahl Al-Husainia north with a command area of 30 thousand feddans, lies in Al-Sharkia
governorate
 Sahl Al-Husainia South area with a command area of 64 thousand feddans stretching in
Al-Sharkia governorate
 Bahr Al-Bakar East with a command of 47 thousand feddans, lies in governorates of Al-
Ismailia and Port Said
 Berket Om Al-Reesh with a command area of 21 thousand feddans lies in Port Said
governorate
 Sahl Ganoub Port Said area with a command area of 45 thousand feddans, located in Port
Said governorate

Project command area in phase two reaches 400 thousand feddans that are distributed in the
following manner:

 Sahl Al-teena area, with a command area of 50 thousand feddans, is located within Port
Said governorate
  Ganoub Al-Kantara Sharq, with a command area of 75 thousand feddans lying in Al-
Ismailia governorate
 Rabaa area, with a command area of 70 thousand feddans,
is situated in North Sinai governorate

 Ber Al-Abd area, with a command area of 86.500 thousand feddans, located in North
Sinai governorate
 Al-Sarw & AL-Qwareer area with a command area of 85 thousand feddans in North Sinai
governorate
 Al-Mazar & Al- Meedan area, with a command area of 33.500 thousand feddans, located
in North Sinai governorate

Project Components:

Phase One :

 Constructing Damietta Dam at kilo 222.00 on Damietta branch:

Damietta dam was constructed on Damietta branch to raise the water level upstream the dam to
1.700 m and charging Al-Salam Canal with the required discharge.

 Establishing Al-Salam Canal west of the Suez Canal with a length of 89.750
kilometers:

Al-Salam Canal intake starts west of the Suez Canal at kilo 219.000 on Damietta branch
upstream Damietta Dam and Lock where the canal is extended south east towards Al-Manzala
Lake. Then the canal goes southward till it meets Al-Sarw drain water. It further passes
eastwards, then southwards to the fringes of Al-Manzala Lake till it meets Hados drain water. It
finally runs eastward till the Suez Canal at kilo 27.800 south of Port Said.

The canal was designed in the required sector to accommodate the water amount necessary for
reclaiming and cultivating 620 thousand feddans. The entire canal, at its length, was lined with
gabions.

 Building Al-Salam pumping stations 1, 2 and 3

Three stations were built on Al-Salam Canal to lift the fresh Nile water and mix it with
agricultural drainage water where 15 pumping units were installed.

 Constructing Siphons

12 siphons were constructed due to the intersection of Al-Salam Canal with other watercourses in
the area.
  Building Bridges

17 bridges were set up. The bridges were made of reinforced concrete borne on stakes that were
previously molded because the canal is intersected with some roads. This was intended to
facilitate connection among the villages and provide easy access to Al-Manzala Lake.

 Building the Canal’s head regulators

Al-Salam Canal head regulator was established; head regulators of other canals and laterals
ramified from Al-Salam Canal for irrigating the command area that were to be cultivated west of
the Suez Canal were also established.

 Setting up residential settlements and administration buildings

Residential settlements and administration buildings relating to Al-Salam stations 1, 2 and 3 were
set up; administration buildings pertaining to the public directorate for irrigating Al-Salam and
its districts were also set up.

Phase Two:

 Completion of Al-Salam pumping stations 1, 2 and 3 west of the Suez Canal

14 additional pumps were installed to Al-Salam stations 1, 2 and 3 west of the Suez Canal to
meet the water requirements of the project east of the Suez Canal.

 Establishment of Al-Salam Canal siphon under the Suez Canal

The siphon consists of four tunnels; each is 770 m long with an inner diameter of 5.10 m and
outer diameter of 6.34 m. The siphon is designed to pass a discharge of 160m3\ second of the Al-
Salam Canal water west of the Suez Canal at Kilo 27.800 (according to the Canal’s numeration)
south of Port Said to Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah Canal east of the Suez Canal for it passes under
the Suez Canal.

 Constructing Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah Canal east of the Suez Canal with a length
of 175 km

The extension of Al-Salam Canal east of the Suez Canal is called Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah
Canal which is the main canal for irrigating 400 thousand feddans. It extends directly from
downstream the siphon till its end in Al-Arish Valley for a length of 175 kilometers. The main
canal is branched into a number of tributary distributive canals.

The canal was executed till kilo 86.500 in Ber Al-Abd area in the following manner:
  The canal passes with a length of 24.5 km in Sahl Al-Teena area that is marked with
argillaceous texture. The canal is lined with gabions to make the canal’s slopes fixed in
this area.

 The canal extends, with a length of 62 km, in areas of Rabaa and Ber Al-Abd that are of
arenaceous nature. The canal is padded with average concrete in that area due to the
highly permeable sandy nature of its soil.

 Establishment of main and secondary pumping stations

Stations 4, 5 and 6 were constructed on Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah Canal with the purpose of
allowing water to flow along the canal for irrigating the targeted command.

Al-Salam Station 7 remains for lifting water to the area of Al-Sarw & Al Qwareer where the
entire area will be to open for bids to Egyptian investors. Two main stations were set up along
Ganoub Al-Kantara Sharq Canal as well as three secondary stations for irrigating 17.400 feddans
in Ganoub Al-Kantara.

 Establishment of main and secondary drainage stations

Two main drainage stations, named Baloza and Al-Farma, were established as well as a
secondary station named “Tal Al-Haywa”.

 Constructing public irrigation and drainage network and infrastructure works

 Most irrigation and drainage infrastructure works for nearly 100 thousand feddans in Sahl
Al-Teena and Ganoub Al- Qantara areas were finished; work in Rabaa and Ber Al-Abd
areas is in progress.
 Work is in progress to include a command of 188.500 feddans in Al-Sarw & Al-
Qawareer areas and in Al Mazaar & Al-Meedan areas under the promotable projects for
investment in the field of land reclamation by Egyptian investors.

 Creating central and secondary settlement villages

- Five settlement villages were finalized in Sahl Al-Teena area. The villages are fitted with all the
needed services and utilities. The village includes the following utilities:

*facilities offering services to users and investors in the project:

Schools, a health care center, a mall, a post office, a communications office, a bakery, a bank and
a cooperative society, veteran unit, a mosque, a social club, a community development building,
a police station and an agricultural unit.
*Residential units for users and open land areas with an area of 200 square meters for every user
to build a house and a barn

*Residential buildings as administrative dwellings for staff in the services

* Paved inner roads network linked to secondary and main roads in the area Inner network of
potable water and sanitation and the upper reservoir

*A network for electrical charging, lighting and

telecommunications

*Areas allocated as an urban and industrial extension and a cemetery

 Works of Electrical Charging for the Project

 Authorities of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy shall supervise the works of
execution and operation of the electrical charging grid that are executed in North Sinai
Development Project.
 Electrical charging works, in North Sinai Development Project for reclamation and
cultivation of 400 thousand feddans using water from Al-Sheikh Gaber Al-Sabah Canal,
are intended to supply all the project’s areas with the electrical power required for
operating irrigation and drainage stations, control barrages, residential communities and
settlement villages as well as the power needed for reclaiming and cultivating the
investors and small users lands.
 Electrical charging works comprise integrated networks of the very high, high, medium
and low voltage. All grids are charged by Al-Arish Power Generating Station that is
linked to Eyoun Mosa Power Stations in South Sinai and East Port Said Station.

The Current Status of Land Reclamation in Phase One

After releasing water in Al-Salam Canal, the public directorate for Al-Salam irrigation undertook
irrigation works in phase one, supervision of water balance, irrigation rotations, charging
tributary canals with the required discharges for the cultivation of the set areas. The reclaimed
area reached 180 thousand feddans. Additional 20 thousand feddans are being reclaimed. Main
crops cultivated in the summer are rice, cotton and corn. Clover, wheat and sugar beet grow in
the winter

The Current Status of Land Reclamation in Phase Two

Water was released in 100 thousand feddans in areas of Sahl Al-Teena and Ganoub Al-Kantara
Sharq where nearly 35 thousand feddans were reclaimed and cultivated. Main winter crops are
wheat, barley, sugar beet and clover. Cotton, sesame, corn, fruit and vegetables are cultivated in
the summer.

Project Cost:
Phase One:

Total costs for Al-Salam Canal Project components west of the Suez Canal, including

expropriation, compensation and earthworks, reached nearly 572 million pounds.

Fund Resources for Phase Two:

Domestic Component: 5189 million Egyptian Pounds funded by the National Investment Bank

Foreign Component:

45 million Kuwaiti dinars funded by the Kuwaiti Fund for Development

94 million Saudi Riyals funded by the Saudi Fund for Development