Port Said Governorate

Port Said Governorate sits at the northeastern tip of the Nile Delta, where the Suez Canal meets the Mediterranean Sea in northeastern Egypt. Entirely urban, it consists of Port Said city on the canal’s west bank and the town of Port Fuad on the east bank, making it one of the few metropolitan areas in the world that spans two continents—Africa and Asia. It is one of six governorates in the Suez Canal economic region and houses the historic administrative building of the Suez Canal Authority, as well as the Port Said Lighthouse.

A major natural gas field was discovered off the coast of Port Said in 2015, described as the largest ever found in the Mediterranean. This discovery helped address Egypt’s long-standing energy crisis, and the Italian company ENI was contracted to handle natural gas liquefaction. The New Suez Canal project, also launched in 2015, included dredging work on the East Port Said Canal.

The governorate is divided into eight regions: seven city districts of Port Said—Al-Sharq, Al-Arab, Al-Manakh, Al-Dawahi, Al-Janoub, Al-Zuhur, and West District—plus the district-town of Port Fuad. These are further split into 11 police wards, with an estimated total population of 789,241 as of January 2023.

In February 2012, over 70 people died in the Port Said Stadium Riot after a football match. Social unrest continued into early 2013, lasting at least two weeks. On March 5, 2013, protesters set fire to the governorate’s headquarters, injuring several people. In October 2016, some Egyptians protested rent increases.

Industrial zones in Port Said, as listed by the Governing Authority for Investment and Free Zones, include the East Port Said Industrial Zone on the Sinai side of the canal. This zone contains the Suez Canal Container Terminal, which opened in 2004. In November 2015, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi launched a new harbor development project at East Port Said, and a side canal there opened in 2016.

Under President Anwar Sadat, Port Said was declared a duty-free zone to promote trade. The governorate serves as a major transit point for imports and exports, moving millions of tons of goods annually, and tourism is also encouraged.

Cultural sites include the Port Said National Museum of Antiquities, opened in 1987 at the meeting point of the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, housing about 9,000 artifacts from Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, and modern eras. The Military Museum of Port Said, established in 1964, commemorates the 1956 tripartite aggression and displays armor, military artifacts, and equipment from the wars of 1956–1967 and 1973. The El Nasr Museum of Modern Art, opened on December 25, 1995, features works by Egyptian artists in various fine art disciplines. The Statue de Lesseps, honoring Ferdinand de Lesseps, stands at the canal’s entrance along Palestine Street, a popular spot for tourists watching passing ships. Nearby is the Suez Canal Authority building, built on the banks of Port Said at the project’s start. The lighthouse and jetties at Port Said, completed in 1869, were built from Teil lime concrete and Port Said sand. The lighthouse is a 180-foot monolith, constructed using 120,000 tons of Teil hydraulic lime and 25,000 blocks, each weighing twenty-five tons. Tall al Faramah, also known as Pelusium, is an archaeological and prehistoric site with ruins and a Byzantine church of ecclesiastical importance. In 2004, Egypt’s marine sector had 3,013 fishermen in the recreational fishing sector, active along the Mediterranean coast near Port Said. Tel Tennis, or Tinnis, is an island 7 km southwest of Port Said on Lake Manzala, reachable by boat. Historic churches include a Roman Church from 1926, a Melkite Greek Catholic Church called Saint Elias Greek Catholic Church, and an old French Cathedral.