Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met on Sunday with Osama Rabie, Chairperson of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), to review recent developments in shipping traffic and the authority’s maritime development plans.
Rabie told the president that the canal recorded a relative improvement and partial recovery in traffic during the second half of 2025, including the gradual return of ultra-large container vessels, as stability began to return to the Red Sea and upgrades to the canal’s southern sector were completed.
He added that canal revenues are expected to improve further in the second half of 2026, as several shipping lines resume normal operations by the end of this year.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the development of the South Red Sea shipyard, part of broader efforts to localise maritime industries and expand partnerships with the private sector.
Rabie outlined ongoing projects, including the construction of 12 deep-sea fishing vessels, the completion of six tugboats as part of a 10-vessel series with a 90-tonne bollard pull, and continued work on 10 additional tugboats with an 80-tonne bollard pull. He also noted the completion of 10 river buses and plans to upgrade the SCA’s dredging fleet.
Al-Sisi stressed the importance of deploying the authority’s fleet to meet the needs of Egyptian ports for tugboats and maritime units, upgrading the national fishing fleet, and continuing the implementation of the Suez Canal’s development strategy to maintain its globally recognised efficiency and pivotal role in international trade.
