The impact of the Belt and Road Initiative's 21st maritime silk road on the Suez Canal zone economics

In a world of globalisation, new initiatives are born every day. One of the most recent initiatives is the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which is expected to cause a revolutionary change in international trade. Egypt - particularly the Suez Canal zone - is one of the potential countries expected to reap the outcomes of this initiative. The main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of BRI drivers on Suez Canal zone economics. This is achieved by a methodology that includes first, conducting narrative literature review to derive the research variables, followed by distributing questionnaires and analysing the responses using structural equation modelling (SEM) statistical tool. The results derived a research framework that could be used in further researches to test the impact of the initiative on the economics of the participating countries. This implies both contribution to knowledge and a practical contribution.