Latest news with #MosesBridge
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Planning completed for $4 billion bridge linking Africa and Asia, construction set to begin
The governments of Saudi Arabia and Egypt have unveiled a groundbreaking, multibillion-dollar bridge project that will connect Africa and Asia across the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are collaborating on the "Moses Bridge" project connecting Africa and Asia. The bridge, with a projected cost of $4 billion, will span the Strait of Tiran, linking Ras Hamid in Saudi Arabia to Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh. Originally announced in 2016, the bridge has completed its planning phase and awaits implementation. Although it was originally unveiled by Saudi Arabia's King Salman in 2016, the bridge is expected to cost around $4 billion, fully financed by the Kingdom and would link Saudi Arabia's Ras Hamid with Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh, spanning the Strait of Tiran. According to The Sun UK, the ambitious project, dubbed the " Moses Bridge," has taken a significant step forward with Egypt confirming the completion of its planning phase. Egypt's Minister of Transport, Kamel al-Wazir, revealed in the past week that all planning work has been finalized. 'We have now completed the planning for the bridge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and are ready to implement it at any time—whether as a bridge or a tunnel,' al-Wazir said. Currently, maritime transport between the two countries is managed by the Arab Bridge Maritime Company, which operates a fleet of 13 cargo and passenger vessels. Bridge to boost futuristic pilgrimage The new bridge, however, is expected to significantly enhance logistics, tourism, and trade in the region. The bridge will complement Saudi Arabia's NEOM development, an ambitious futuristic city project situated near the Kingdom's northwestern borders. It will provide an alternative pilgrimage route to Mecca, potentially serving over a million travelers annually. The project has been hailed as a historic feat of engineering and diplomacy. In 2016, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi suggested naming the structure "King Salman bin Abdulaziz Bridge" after the Saudi monarch. However, the public has affectionately dubbed it the "Moses Bridge" due to its symbolic location and cultural significance. Notably, earlier plans for a Red Sea bridge have been discussed since 1988, but have been delayed and stalled due to political hesitations. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's NEOM project, estimated to cost a staggering $500 billion, continues to face intense global scrutiny. Conceived as a futuristic, tech-driven city, the venture has been marred by delays, internal controversies, and criticism over human rights concerns. Behind NEOM's gleaming façade, critics have raised alarms about troubling practices. The Moses Bridge, however, may offer a more unifying vision—one that seamlessly blends symbolism, strategy, and regional development into a single structure spanning continents.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Incredible continent-spanning ‘Moses bridge' linking Africa and Asia across Red Sea is ‘ready to be built'
A MINDBLOWING multibillion-dollar bridge connecting two continents across the Red Sea dubbed the "Moses bridge" is set to be built. The extraordinary bridge will link Saudi Arabia and Egypt across the sea that Moses is said to have parted over 3,200 years ago. 4 4 4 Ambitious plans for the incredible bridge were announced nearly a decade ago in 2016 by Saudi Arabia's King Salman. The mind-boggling megaproject is expected to cost an eye-watering $4billion - financed by the Arab Kingdom. Egyptian transport minister Kamel al-Wazir has now confirmed that the planning stage has now been completed. He said: "We have now completed the planning for the bridge between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and are ready to implement it at any time, whether a bridge or a tunnel." The minister added that the current solution for connecting the two countries was the Arab Bridge Maritime Co., which currently holds 13 vessels and transports cargo between the nations. The new build will make trading cargo much more efficient - and will compliment Saudi Arabia's megalomaniac NEOM project. The jaw-dropping bridge will connect Egypt's Sinai Peninsula with the Arab Kingdom, crossing the Straits of Tiran. Ras Hamid in Saudi Arabia will be linked to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi previously suggested naming the structure "King Salman bin Abdulaziz Bridge" in 2016. But it has been dubbed the "Moses Bridge" for its iconic location. It is hoped that the project will create thousands of jobs on each side of the sea. The bridge will also provide an alternative pilgrimage route, and is expected to hold over a million travellers per year. The idea for a Red Sea bridge linking the two countries has been proposed several times before but has always failed to become a reality. Floated ideas for the revolutionary structure date back to 1988. A slew of delays for the Saudi-Egypt bridge has also plagued its long-running history. The completed plans come as a separate bridge is also being planned over the Red Sea, spanning 20 miles and being headed by Osama Bin Laden's brother. The structure, dubbed the 'Bridge of the Horns', is expected to be a combination of causeway and suspension bridge with four piers. It also comes as Saudi Arabia continues to struggle with its groundbreaking $500billoin megacity project. The Middle Eastern nation's NEOM project - which would see a high-tech utopia built from scratch near the country's border with Jordan - has long been cursed. One former employee shared their story of working at the gigaproject with The Sun, shedding light on the atrocities taking place behind NEOM's doors.
