Siemens To Provide Control Systems for Suez Canal Tunnels

Siemens was awarded a contract to provide the command control and communication systems for Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel 2, a transportation link beneath the Suez Canal that will ease movement between cities in the South of Sinai and the rest of Egypt.   

The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Cairo by UDT, which is responsible for the project’s technology solutions, and Siemens and Deutschland Technology, who will provide the equipment and systems. 

Siemens’ digital technologies will ensure safe and efficient transit of vehicles through the tunnel by providing command control, ventilation, traffic control, communication, fire alarm and linear heat detection systems, as well the SCADA systems. This will allow for 24/7 monitoring capabilities and real-time data analysis that can assess conditions and decide on actions to optimize traffic flow and improve safety.

“This tunnel will accelerate growth in the Sinai region. We’re proud that we are continuing to contribute to Egypt’s society and economy,” said Mostafa El-Bagoury, the Chief Executive Officer of Siemens in Egypt. “Siemens has a long history of providing the latest technology to aid in Egypt’s development, and this tunnel is a testament that the country continues to embrace digitalization to improve the efficiency and safety of its critical infrastructure.” 

The two-lane Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel 2 is 4.25 kilometers long and 11 meters in diameter. The project, which is expected to be completed within a year, is part of a broader plan to spur economic development in the Sinai Peninsula and fits into Egypt’s ambition to transform its road and traffic network into a smart digital system. 

“This consortium plans pursue related projects in the Arab world and Africa, and therefore we formed a technical committee to jointly study such opportunities and to share our experiences in this space,” said Ahmad Nael, the chairman of UDT. 

Dr. Mohamed Sorour, the CEO of Deutschland Technology, said: “Our consortium has the expertise and capacity that can compete with global firms, and this motivated us to create a technical engineering entity to penetrate the Arab and African markets.” 

Siemens will deploy its latest tunnel control equipment and systems in the Suez tunnels, and will also provide project and integration management services. The company has previously provided a similar solution for the 2.8-km Azhar Tunnel in Cairo and the 3.95-km Port Said Tunnel.