In the 1930s, when the idea for a larger, higher and stronger barrage was put forward, the old barrage was leaking again and the maintenance expenses required were of such magnitude, that the building of a new barrage was determined to be more feasible. Construction of the new Mohammed Ali Barrage lasted from 1936 to 1939. The contract, awarded through public tender, to the British firm of Messrs. McDonald Gibbs & Co. (Engineers) and was inaugurated in December 1939.
During the 1930s, plans for an expanded, elevated, and intensified barrage were put forward, but the aging structure began leaking once more, prompting significant maintenance expenses that made it more feasible to construct a new one. The construction of the Mohammed Ali Barrage lasted from 1936 to 1939.