OMM Redaksiyası
Egypt has said the Suez Canal remains safe, with maritime traffic operating normally along the strategic shipping route, according to a statement from the Suez Canal Authority.
Authority Chairman Osama Rabie made the remarks at a ceremony in Alexandria marking World Maritime Day 2026, organized by the Maritime Transport Sector of Egypt’s Ministry of Transport.
Vessel traffic and revenue increase
Rabie said navigation through the canal was proceeding regularly and that revenue reached $567.1 million in August, up 56.7% from $326 million in the same month of 2025.
He added that navigation remained stable and services were being delivered efficiently. Canal pilots, who guide ships through the waterway’s narrow passages, were carrying out their duties with a high level of readiness and professionalism.
Navigation reports showed that 1,358 vessels carrying 68.3 million metric tons of net cargo transited the canal in August. The figures compare with 1,070 vessels carrying 45.2 million metric tons during the same month last year.
Rabie said the results represented increases of 27% in vessel numbers, 51.1% in net cargo and 56.7% in revenue.
Impact of regional tensions
Referring to global and regional geopolitical changes, Rabie said international crises had directly affected global supply chains. He stressed, however, that the Suez Canal had again demonstrated its critical and irreplaceable role in supporting those supply chains.
The announcement comes amid continued tensions around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides access to the Suez Canal.
Since Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip began in October 2023, Yemen’s Houthi group has targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. Major shipping companies responded by diverting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty recently said Red Sea tensions had cost Egypt about $11 billion in lost Suez Canal revenue.
