Suez Canal Authority

Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is a state-owned authority which owns, operates and maintains the Suez Canal. It was set up by the Egyptian government to replace the Suez Canal Company in the 1950s, which resulted in the Suez Crisis. After the United Nations declared, the three invading countries (France, Israel, The United Kingdom) were forced to withdraw.

Suez Canal Authority
Administration building in Port Said
Abbreviation	SCA
Predecessor	Suez Canal Company
Formation	July 26, 1956 (1956-07-26)
Type	Governmental agency
Purpose/focus	Managing the Suez Canal
Headquarters	Ismaïlia
Chair	Admiral Osama Mounier Mohamed Rabie
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Establishment

The Suez Canal Authority is an independent authority having legal personality. It was established by the nationalization act signed on 26 July 1956 by the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. The act at the same time nationalized the company and transferred all its assets and employees to the SCA established by this act.

The main office is located in Ismaïlia. In Port Said, the administration building of the earlier Suez Canal Company is used. Its board of directors comprises 14 persons, including the chairman and managing director.

Assets, duties and responsibilities

The authority owns the Suez Canal and all areas, buildings and equipment is maintained. SCA issues the Rules of Navigation, specifies the tolls for the use of the canal and collects them. The tolls are expressed in XDR and collected in several currencies. In 2008, the total revenue in tolls was 5,381.9 million USD for the passage of a total of 21,415 vessels - resulting in an average toll of 251,314.5 USD per vessel.

SCA is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Suez Canal, for the safety of the traffic and access. According to the nationalization act, SCA is bound by the 1888 Convention of Constantinople, which grants the right of free access and use of the canal at equal conditions to all ships, commercial ships and ships of war, in times of peace or of war, even to ships of bitterparties.

SCA is responsible for the computerized traffic management supported by radar, for the 14 pilot stations and their pilots. Since 1996, SCA operates the Maritime Training and Simulation Center for its pilots. SCA operates some 60 ships and boats, such as tugs, dredgers, cranes, and smaller boats.

According to SCA's website, its facilities also include 114 ferry connections with 36 ferry boats; the Ahmed Hamdi road tunnel; the Nile Shipyard; the roads alongside the canal; a silk production in a farm using treated sanitary waste water for waste; water plants in the canal cities; 12,000 housing units; a hospital in Ismailia and emergency hospitals at both ends of the canal; 4 schools and various sports and recreational centers.