Suez is a seaport town with an estimated population of 500,000. The city is located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern boundary of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has two harbours; Port Tawfiq and Port Ibrahim, with extensive port facilities. Together Port Ibrahim and Port Tawfiq form a metropolitan area. Railways and highways connect the Suez with Port Said and Cairo.

Fanning north from Cairo, the Delta and Suez are Egypt's bread baskets, dotted with historical sights. To the east, the Suez Canal offers the spectacle of ships in the desert, and two interesting canalside towns.

Suez has a petrochemical plant, and its oil refineries carry the finished product to the capital city, Cairo. Suez is also a station for pilgrims travelling to and from holy cities of Mecca and Medina.