Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, held a meeting last week with representatives of 23 major shipping lines and agencies.
The meeting was attended by Chairmen of the Suez, Port Said and Alexandria Chambers of Shipping to discuss the impact of the return of relative stability in the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandab region on navigation schemes and schedules in the Suez Canal within the upcoming period. The meeting was held at the SCA’s headquarters, Al-Irshad Building, in the city of Ismailia.
In his speech, Rabiee emphasized the SCA’s keenness on direct and active communication with all its clients to hold discussions and exchange viewpoints on developments of the situation in the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandab region. Rabiee has also expressed his high esteem for the invaluable role played by shipping agencies as a main linking point and partner in success towards achieving mutual interests.
Rabiee explained that the current situation in the Red Sea region is witnessing positive indicators that show stability returning to the region making it the perfect opportunity to take executive measures aimed at modifying navigational schedules to pave the way for the return of maritime navigation back to its normal course.
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Rabiee has sent a message of reassurance to the maritime community that the circumstances are ripe for the return of maritime navigation in the Red Sea region once again, announcing the Suez Canal’s readiness to operate at full capacity to receive the various navigational services of major shipping lines. He also expressed his understanding of the security concerns of the shipping companies and shipping lines and their keenness to maintain the navigational safety of vessels and crew.
According to Rabiee, the Suez Canal has not stopped providing its maritime and logistical services since the beginning of the crisis, but rather has taken many measures to mitigate its repercussions on its clients and to meet the evolving requirements of the current stage by introducing a package of new navigational services which were not available before— such as providing maritime salvage services, water ambulance services, pollution control, ship maintenance and repair, and bunkering services.
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Rabiee stressed the great importance of the Southern Sector Development Project in its two parts and the numerous navigational advantages it shall provide – such as increasing the margin of navigational safety and reducing the impact of water and air currents after expanding the Canal by 40 metres to the east and increasing the depth from 66 feet to 72 feet within the scope of the canal expansion project, from kilometres 132 (canal marking) to km 162 (canal marking).
Moreover, the Canal duplication project increases the canal’s accommodation capacity by an average of 6 – 8 vessels per day. Additionally, the length of the New Suez Canal is extended from 72 to 82 kilometres.