Not as profitable as oil, but a steadier source of income,
is the fee Egypt charges to each ship passing through the Suez
Canal. Oil tankers once made up the most important traffic
through the canal. When fighting between Egypt and Israel
closed the canal in 1973, however, a new generation of super-
tankers was built to carry Middle Eastern oil by sea around
Africa to western Europe and North America. When the canal
reopened in 1975, it was not wide and deep enough to accom-
modate these huge vessels. Egypt is now enlarging the canal to
take in those ships. In 2006, the country earned approximately
$3.6 billion in fees.