Egypt: Suez Canal is Safe and Navigation is Regular Amid Improved Transit Rates

This was stated by the head of the Suez Canal Authority, Major General Osama Rabie, at the World Maritime Day celebration for 2026, organized by the Maritime Transport Sector of the Ministry of Transport in Alexandria Governorate (north), according to a statement by the Authority on Sunday.

The Egyptian affirmations come amid concerns about the impact on supplies in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, and forms the gateway to the Suez Canal to the north and then to the Mediterranean Sea, due to Houthi escalation since July.

The head of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, said that "the canal is safe, navigation is regular, and its services operate efficiently with its guides at the highest levels of performance and readiness."

He pointed out that "navigation reports showed an improvement in canal transit rates, with 1,358 ships crossing the canal in August with a total net cargo of 68.3 million tons, generating revenues of $567.1 million."

Rabie noted that these rates were compared to 1,070 ships, with a total net cargo of 45.2 million tons, and revenues of $326 million in August of the previous year, with a 27% increase in the number of ships, 51.1% in net cargo, and 56.7% in revenue.

Regarding the challenges of recent years, Rabie emphasized "the importance of gathering maritime transport and shipping community stakeholders to exchange views on current developments and challenges in light of the profound geopolitical changes that have occurred on the international and regional scene in recent years."

He pointed out that these developments "directly affected global trade and supply chains, and their repercussions extended to navigation in the Suez Canal."

Major General Rabie asserted that "the disturbances and changes that have occurred on the international scene in general, and the maritime trade community in particular, have proven the importance of the Suez Canal in securing global supply chains and consolidating its leading position globally."

He stressed that these disturbances "proved beyond doubt the non-existence of an alternative and sustainable route to the Suez Canal, given the highest levels of maritime safety and security it enjoys, along with highly efficient auxiliary maritime services."

In 2023, after the outbreak of the Israeli genocide war on the Gaza Strip in October, the Houthis began launching attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb linked to Israel, prompting major shipping companies to reroute their ships towards the Cape of Good Hope.

This was directly reflected in the navigation traffic through the Egyptian Suez Canal, where Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty said in recent estimates that his country lost about $11 billion in canal revenues due to the Red Sea disturbances.

In recent weeks, several fronts in Yemen have witnessed military escalation, amid renewed clashes between government forces and group fighters in several governorates, including Taiz, Marib, Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, and Lahj.

These developments come within the framework of a military escalation that began in early July, the largest since years of relative calm following the April 2022 truce.

The fighting accelerated in September, leading to the Houthis' control of vital centers in Al-Hodeidah and Taiz, including the strategic city of Al-Mokha, reaching Mayun Island overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.