Nasser’s 1956 Suez Canal Announcement: A Landmark in Egyptian History

On July 26, 1956, President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalisation of the Universal Suez Maritime Canal Company during a speech in Alexandria marking the anniversary of the revolution.

The declaration placed the canal company at the centre of a presidential address delivered on an occasion celebrating Egypt’s political transformation.

Nationalisation meant bringing the company under Egyptian state control. The announcement linked the revolution’s anniversary with a major assertion of national sovereignty.

Remembered as a defining moment of Nasser’s presidency, the Alexandria speech remains a prominent chapter in Egypt’s modern history.