Port Said port is two ports at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal: East Port Said, home of the Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT), and the older multipurpose West Port Said on the city side. Most containers from Dubai to Port Said land at SCCT, while West Port Said handles general cargo, grain, Ro-Ro and smaller container ships. This guide explains both ports, what cargo each takes, the customs basics and how we ship your cargo there from the UAE. We ship both ways: from Dubai to Port Said, and from Port Said to Dubai.
Port Said port at a glance
| Item | East Port Said (SCCT) | West Port Said |
|---|---|---|
| UN/LOCODE | EGPSE (SCCT uses EGPSD in its tracking) | EGPSD |
| Authority | Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) | SCZONE, Port Said Port Authority |
| Main operator | SCCT, run by APM Terminals (55% owner) | Several terminals and berths by cargo type |
| Location | East bank of the canal entrance, 31°13'N 32°21'E | City side, 31°15'N 32°18'E |
| Container quay | 3,355 m at SCCT | 3 container berths (350 m) and 5 multipurpose container berths (606 m) |
| Depth | 17 m alongside at SCCT; basin dredged to 18.5 m | 13.2 m at container berths; main channel 13.72 m |
| Container capacity | 7 million TEU (SCCT) | 800,000 TEU |
| Cranes | 30 ship-to-shore cranes, 90 RTGs | Not published by berth |
| Reefer plugs | 6,400 | Not published |
| Largest ships | 20,000+ TEU, two ultra-large ships at once | Smaller container, general cargo and bulk ships |
| Working hours | 24/7 terminal and gate | 24 hours daily |
| Pilotage | Compulsory, by the Suez Canal Authority | Compulsory, by the Suez Canal Authority |
| Import VAT | 14% | |
| Import duty | Mostly 0% to 60% of CIF value, by HS code | |
| Port Said to Dubai | Egypt export declaration through Nafeza with a UCR per shipment; Dubai duty 5% of CIF for most goods, plus 5% VAT | |
East Port Said or West Port Said: which one is your cargo going to?
The two ports face each other across the canal entrance, and people often call both "Port Said". Your bill of lading and the carrier's service decide which one you use.
| Your cargo | Usual port | Why |
|---|---|---|
| FCL containers on mainline or transshipment services | East Port Said (SCCT) | Deep water, large ships, most carrier calls |
| Reefer containers | East Port Said (SCCT) | 6,400 reefer plugs |
| General cargo and steel | West Port Said | Eight general cargo berths |
| Grain and dry bulk | West Port Said, or East Port Said bulk areas | Grain berth in the west; bulk terminal space in the east |
| Vehicles on Ro-Ro ships | West Port Said Ro-Ro berth, or the East Port Said Ro-Ro terminal | Depends on the ship and the operator |
| Cargo for a factory in the East Port Said industrial zone | East Port Said | The zone sits directly south of the port |
A simple rule: check the port code. EGPSE points to East Port Said. EGPSD is used for West Port Said and also appears in SCCT's own tracking, so confirm the terminal name with the carrier as well.
Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT) in East Port Said
SCCT opened in 2004 under a concession as a joint venture. APM Terminals owns 55% and runs it. The other shareholders are COSCO (20%), the Suez Canal Authority (10.3%), the Egyptian private sector (9.7%) and the National Bank of Egypt (5%). The Maritime Transport Sector says East Port Said ranked 15th in the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index 2021.
Berths and equipment
| Item | SCCT figure |
|---|---|
| Quay length | 3,355 m |
| Draft alongside | 17 m |
| Ship-to-shore cranes | 30, lifting up to 90 tons, 24 container rows outreach |
| Rubber-tyred gantry cranes | 90 |
| Capacity | 7 million TEU a year |
| Reefer plug points | 6,400 |
| Gate | 24/7, 6 inbound and 2 outbound lanes |
APM Terminals says SCCT can serve ships of 20,000 TEU and more, and two ultra-large container ships at the same time. Its feeder network covers the Mediterranean, so much of the cargo here is transshipment between big ships and feeders.
Gate, office hours and truck access
The terminal and gate work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The office works Sunday to Wednesday 08:00 to 17:00 and Thursday 08:00 to 16:00. SCCT closes from 04:00 to 12:00 on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, so plan deliveries around those mornings.
East Port Said is on the Sinai side of the canal. Trucks reach the Nile Delta and Cairo through the road tunnels under the canal, including the Port Said tunnel that opened in December 2019. SCCT says a full export container takes about 40 minutes to clear security and cross the tunnel, including six X-ray scanners, and an empty takes about 20 minutes. SCCT also publishes import availability, export booking checks, a weekly berth plan and live truck turn times on its website.
The wider East Port Said zone
The Maritime Transport Sector describes East Port Said as part of a 145 sq km integrated zone, with a 63 sq km industrial zone and three logistics areas totalling 24 sq km. The port's first phase has 7.4 km of berths and a 950 m turning circle, and the approach channel is 9.1 km long and 18.5 m deep. SCZONE lists a 3,000 m dedicated container terminal area, a 900 m multipurpose terminal, a 600 m Ro-Ro terminal and a 500 m grain terminal and logistics centre, with more berths under construction.
West Port Said: berths by cargo type
West Port Said is the original city port. The Maritime Transport Sector gives a total area of 3 sq km, 90,000 sq m of warehouses, a 435,000 sq m container yard and a maximum capacity of about 12.2 million tonnes a year, including 800,000 TEU. The main channel is 8 km long and 13.72 m deep.
| Berth type | Berths | Length | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container | 3 | 350 m | 13.2 m |
| Multipurpose (container) | 5 | 606 m | 13.2 m |
| General cargo | 8 | 910 m | 5 to 8.2 m |
| Grain | 1 | 265 m | 12.8 m |
| Ro-Ro | 1 | 40 m | 8.2 m |
| Petroleum services | 3 | 575 m | 3.6 m |
| Tourist | 3 | 385 m | 8.3 to 12 m |
| Salt shipping and services | 1 | 260 m | 7.2 m |
| All berths | 32 | 4,437 m |
The general cargo berths are shallow, so a deep-loaded breakbulk ship may need a different berth or the east port. West Port Said also has a dedicated gate for the free zone, Gate 30, open from 08:00 to 17:00, and Gate 37 for cargo trains.
Planned projects at West Port Said
SCZONE lists a container terminal expansion with a 1,550 m quay, 16 to 17 m depth, 2 million TEU a year and room for ships up to 15,000 TEU. Other plans include a 550 m dry bulk and grain berth at 14 m, a 565 m multipurpose berth at 14 m handling 3.5 million tonnes a year, a liquid bulk terminal and a new Ro-Ro berth. These are plans, so check what is open before you book.
What cargo can you ship through Port Said?
| Cargo type | Where it lands | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| General goods in containers (FCL) | SCCT, or West Port Said on smaller services | Terminal name on the booking, ACID on all documents |
| Reefer cargo | SCCT | Set temperature, health certificates, fast clearance |
| LCL cargo | Consolidated box into SCCT or West Port Said | The consolidator's delivery order and devanning point |
| Steel and general cargo | West Port Said general cargo berths, or the East multipurpose terminal | Ship's draft against 5 to 8.2 m general cargo berths |
| Machinery and project cargo | Flat racks at SCCT, or breakbulk at a multipurpose berth | Lift plan, trailer, tunnel or road route to site |
| Grain and dry bulk | Grain berth in the west, bulk areas in the east | Discharge rate and receiver storage |
| Vehicles | Ro-Ro berths | Vehicle documents and import rules for cars |
| Dangerous goods | Usually in containers at SCCT | Carrier and terminal acceptance before booking |
Container shipping from Dubai to Port Said
Shipping from Dubai to Port Said is mostly a container move, often with one transshipment. Fluent Cargo's schedule data, checked in November 2026, shows these sample routings:
| Routing | Published transit | Frequency | Carrier shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jebel Ali to Port Said, 1 transfer | About 13 days 17 hours | Every 2 to 4 weeks | CMA CGM |
| Khor Fakkan to Port Said, 1 transfer | About 18 days 16 hours | 1 to 2 times a week | Maersk |
These are schedule indications, not promises. Services change often, so we confirm the current routing, the transshipment hub and the terminal at booking. Cogoport's port-pair data also lists Jebel Ali among the lanes linked to Port Said East.
[AMIR-FACT: our real door-to-port or port-to-port transit time from Jebel Ali to Port Said, the carriers we actually book on this lane, and one real shipment we handled]
FCL or LCL?
Full containers go straight to the terminal on the bill of lading. LCL goes into a consolidator's box and is unpacked in Egypt, which adds handling and a second delivery order. Our FCL vs LCL guide explains how to choose. For the UAE side, see our Jebel Ali port shipping guide, if your box loads there.
Air freight instead of sea
There is no international cargo airport at Port Said itself. Air cargo from the UAE usually lands at Cairo International and trucks to Port Said. Fluent Cargo lists direct flights from Dubai International to Cairo of about 3 hours 43 minutes, and EgyptAir freighters from Sharjah and Al Maktoum. Our sea freight service covers the ocean side, and we quote air on request.
Breakbulk, bulk and Ro-Ro at Port Said
Breakbulk and heavy pieces need the right berth. West Port Said's general cargo berths are 5 to 8.2 m deep, while its container and multipurpose berths reach 13.2 m. East Port Said has a dedicated multipurpose terminal of 900 m and a 600 m Ro-Ro terminal. The Suez Canal Authority shipyard in West Port Said runs three floating docks of 25,000, 10,000 and 5,000 tons, which matters only if your cargo is a vessel or marine unit.
- Send drawings, weights and lifting points before booking.
- Ask which berth your ship will use and its draft limit.
- Plan the road route, including the canal tunnels if the site is west of the canal.
- Book the trailer for the discharge shift to avoid storage.
Our break bulk shipping service plans the vessel, lashing and quay delivery from the UAE side.
Dangerous goods to Port Said
Most DG cargo to Port Said moves in containers through SCCT. We have not found a published Port Said rule sheet for DG storage, so acceptance runs through the carrier and the terminal at booking.
- We check the UN number, class and packing group against the carrier's DG acceptance for the route and the transshipment port.
- We prepare the IMDG dangerous goods declaration and container packing certificate, and check labels and placards.
- Your consignee's clearing agent confirms any Egyptian permits for the chemical or product before the cargo ships.
- We send the safety data sheet with the shipping documents so the terminal and customs have it.
See our dangerous goods shipping service for classes we plan from the UAE.
Customs at Port Said port: a short summary
Port Said uses Egypt's national customs rules, the same as Alexandria and Sokhna. Here are the points you must not miss.
- ACI: the importer, or a customs broker for the importer, gets an Advance Cargo Information number (ACID) before shipment, and the exporter must show the ACID on all shipping documents.
- Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin, plus health, phytosanitary or other certificates for regulated goods.
- Duty: most rates run from 0% to 60% of CIF value. Industrial machinery is generally 0% to 5%, trucks and heavy equipment 10% to 20%, and cars and luxury goods can reach 135%.
- VAT: 14% on imports, calculated on the CIF value plus duty and other taxes.
What is specific to Port Said is the free zone and industrial zone setup. West Port Said has its own free zone gate, and the East Port Said industrial zone sits directly behind the east port under SCZONE. If your consignee is in either zone, ask their clearing agent which customs regime applies before you ship, because it changes the documents and when duty is paid. We prepare the UAE side and work with your consignee's clearing agent in Egypt.
How to ship from Dubai to Port Said port, step by step
- Send us the commodity, HS code, weights, dimensions, DG class if any, and the consignee's address in Egypt.
- Your consignee registers the shipment and sends us the ACID. We put it on the invoice, packing list and bill of lading.
- We compare carriers and routings to Port Said, check whether the box lands at SCCT or West Port Said, and book space.
- We arrange trucking to Jebel Ali or another UAE port, UAE export clearance and container loading.
- We check every document against the ACID record before the cargo sails.
- We send the final documents to the consignee and track the transshipment.
- On arrival, the consignee's clearing agent clears customs and arranges delivery through the gate or the canal tunnels.
Free time at the terminal and on the carrier's equipment is set by the carrier and the terminal. Read our guide to demurrage and detention before you agree free days.
How to ship from Port Said to Dubai
We also handle the other direction: shipping from Port Said to Dubai, with arrival at Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port or Sharjah port. We book the space with the carrier and run the UAE side. The Egyptian export papers stay with the shipper or its Egyptian customs broker.
The Egypt export side
- Export declarations go through Nafeza, Egypt's national single window for foreign trade.
- Under Nafeza's Advanced Export System, the exporter or its customs broker issues a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) for each shipment. The UCR tracks the shipment until the export is complete.
- Goods that need checks are inspected by the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), the National Food Safety Authority or another competent authority. The shipper should check whether its goods need an inspection and book it early.
- The shipper or its trucker delivers the box to SCCT or West Port Said inside the carrier's cut-off.
The UAE import side
On arrival in Dubai, the declaration goes to Dubai Customs with the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and any permit for restricted goods. Customs duty in Dubai is 5% of the CIF value for most goods, with 50% on alcohol and 100% on cigarettes. Import VAT is 5%.
- Send us the shipper's details in Egypt, the cargo, the HS code and the UAE delivery address.
- We book space from Port Said and send the booking and cut-offs to the shipper.
- The shipper or its trucker picks up the cargo and delivers the box to the terminal.
- The shipper or its customs broker issues the UCR and files the export declaration on Nafeza.
- We check the draft bill of lading against the invoice and packing list.
- We file the Dubai Customs declaration before arrival, and we arrange payment of the duty and VAT.
- We collect the delivery order, truck the box to your site and return the empty inside free time.
[AMIR-FACT: the carriers we actually use from Port Said (SCCT or West Port Said) to Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port or Sharjah and our real transit days in this direction]
Port Said vs Alexandria vs Sokhna: which Egyptian port fits?
| Your situation | Usual choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Consignee in the canal cities, Sinai side or the East Port Said industrial zone | Port Said | Short inland leg |
| Cargo on a carrier that uses SCCT as its hub | Port Said (SCCT) | No extra feeder to another port |
| Consignee in Alexandria or the western Delta | Alexandria | Closer to the receiver |
| Consignee in Cairo or the Sokhna industrial zone | Sokhna | Shorter road to Cairo |
Checklist before you ship to Port Said
- ACID received from the consignee and shown on every document.
- Terminal confirmed: SCCT in East Port Said or a berth in West Port Said.
- HS code agreed with the consignee's clearing agent.
- Certificate of origin and any health or product certificates ready.
- DG acceptance confirmed with the carrier and the transshipment port.
- Breakbulk berth and draft checked for heavy pieces.
- Free time agreed with the carrier.
- Deliveries planned around the Eid closures at SCCT.
Common mistakes when shipping to Port Said
- Shipping before the consignee has the ACID.
- Mixing up East and West Port Said on the booking or bill of lading.
- Assuming a breakbulk ship fits the shallow general cargo berths.
- Planning a Cairo delivery without allowing time for the canal tunnels.
- Sending DG cargo before the carrier and transshipment port accept it.
- Leaving the zone customs regime to the last minute for a free zone or industrial zone consignee.
Frequently asked questions
Who operates Port Said port?
East Port Said and West Port Said come under the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The container terminal in East Port Said, SCCT, is run by APM Terminals, which owns 55%.
What is the difference between East Port Said and West Port Said?
East Port Said is the deep-water container hub on the east bank of the canal, home to SCCT. West Port Said is the older city port with general cargo, grain, Ro-Ro and smaller container berths.
What is the port code for Port Said?
EGPSE is used for Port Said East and EGPSD for Port Said West. SCCT's own tracking also uses EGPSD, so check the terminal name on your booking.
How deep is Port Said port?
SCCT in East Port Said has 17 m alongside, and the east basin is dredged to 18.5 m. West Port Said's main channel is 13.72 m deep, with 13.2 m at its container berths.
How big is the SCCT container terminal?
SCCT has a 3,355 m quay, 30 ship-to-shore cranes, 90 RTGs, 6,400 reefer plugs and a capacity of 7 million TEU a year.
How long does shipping from Dubai to Port Said take?
Fluent Cargo's schedule data shows about 13 days 17 hours from Jebel Ali with one transfer, and about 18 days 16 hours from Khor Fakkan. We confirm the current schedule at booking.
How does shipping from Port Said to Dubai work?
The shipper or its Egyptian customs broker issues a UCR and files the export declaration on Nafeza. We book space to Jebel Ali, Khalifa or Sharjah, file the Dubai Customs declaration before arrival and arrange payment of the 5% duty and 5% VAT.
Do I need an ACID to ship to Port Said?
Yes. Egypt's ACI system applies at every port, and the exporter must show the ACID on all shipping documents.
Is SCCT open on public holidays?
The terminal and gate run 24/7, but SCCT closes from 04:00 to 12:00 on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Get a quote for Port Said port shipping
Send your cargo details through our freight rate inquiry form and we will come back with a routing and price to Port Said. If you have a DG, breakbulk or zone question, contact our team, or read more about our Dubai freight forwarding team.
Sources
- APM Terminals: About SCCT (shareholders, quay, draft, cranes, capacity, reefer plugs, gate, tunnel times)
- APM Terminals: SCCT hours of operation
- APM Terminals: SCCT home (online services)
- SCZONE: East Port Said port (location, basin depth, terminals, logistics areas)
- SCZONE: West Port Said port (area, depth, planned projects)
- Egypt Maritime Transport Sector: Port Said port (area, capacity, channel, berths by type, gates, pilotage, shipyard)
- Egypt Maritime Transport Sector: East Port Said port (zone areas, channel, turning circle, CPPI rank, pilotage, tunnels)
- Fluent Cargo: Port Said East (EGPSE) profile
- Fluent Cargo: Dubai to Port Said routes (sea and air schedule indications)
- Cogoport: Port Said East (EGPSE) port data and port pairs
- Cogoport: Port Said (EGPSD) port data
- Find a Port: Port of Port Said (pilotage by the Suez Canal Authority)
- US International Trade Administration: Egypt import requirements and documentation (ACID)
- Nafeza: national single window for foreign trade (Advanced Export System, UCR per shipment)
- Nafeza news: new export system and inspection of exported goods by GOEIC and the National Food Safety Authority
- Dubai Customs: import declaration documents
- Dubai Customs: FAQ (5% of CIF, 50% alcohol, 100% cigarettes)
- UAE Federal Tax Authority: VAT (5%)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Egypt, other taxes (customs duty, VAT)
Reviewed: 10 November 2026