Suakin Island is located in north-eastern Sudan on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1865 the decree of the Ottoman Sultan to khedive ismail gave his sons the right of accession, and granted to Egypt the ports of Massowa and Suakin in return for an additional yearly tribute. Completion of the Alexandria-Suez railway, and then the opening of the Suez Canal, saw a return of trade to the Red Sea and its revival as a major shipping lane. By 1865 Egyptian steamers were maintaining a regular service between Suakin and Suez, as the addition of a new and faster trade route from Europe to the Indian Ocean placed Suakin at the forefront of trade between the Red Sea, Europe and the Indian Ocean. As such, the eastern Red Sea littoral was a key strategic position and essential in maintaining control of the Nile, therefor Suakin was chosen as the most suitable harbor, and Egypt begun to develop infrastructure upon the island and its adjacent mainland . This Paper seeks to examine the conditions of Suakin under the Egyptian administration. And its importance as a port for global trade, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal.

Suakin Under the Egyptian administration 1865- 1882