Firstly, I think you will that a lot of people will take exception to the idea that the Suez Canal was "built" by the French.
A man-made waterway cutting from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean has existed since ancient times - and many Egyptians are proud to call it a piece of "Egyptian" engineering.
Nevertheless, the French investment and work had a huge impact:
Significance of the Suez Canal
French capital, French engineering, and local slave labour was what built the canal.
As soon as it was open, it had a positive impact on trade - and it also made European colonisation of Africa possible.
How important is the Suez Canal?
The canal was so important that it wasn't until the '50s that British troops withdrew from protecting the canal on behalf of the Egyptian and Sudanese states.
The canal was at the centre of three wars, and is both economically and militarily important.
During the war between Israel and Egypt (1967-75), the canal was closed - and this had a HUGE impact on world economy, with oil that was shipped through the canal taking 2 weeks longer to arrive at destination and costing a lot more.
