Suez Canal Authority Chief: Over 1,300 ships transit canal, generating $449M in revenue since start of 2026

CAIRO – 9 February 2026: Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Admiral Osama Rabie, announced that 1,315 ships carrying a total net tonnage of 56 million tons have transited the Suez Canal since the beginning of 2026, generating revenues of $449 million.

Rabie noted that this represents an increase compared to the same period last year, when 1,243 vessels with a total net tonnage of 47 million tons transited the canal, generating revenues of $368 million.

The SCA chairman made the remarks while participating on Sunday in the opening session of the 15th Annual International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (MARLOG), organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, under the auspices of the League of Arab States and in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport. The conference is being held from February 8 to 10.

Rabie stated that shipping statistics for the first half of fiscal year 2025/2026 showed relative improvement, with a 5.8% increase in the number of transiting vessels and a 16% rise in net tonnage. These gains were reflected in an 18.5% increase in revenues compared to the same period of the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

Addressing the Red Sea crisis, Rabie said it clearly demonstrated the canal’s resilience. He described 2024 as a year of severe challenges, while noting that the final quarter of 2025 marked the beginning of a gradual recovery following the success of the Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit, which contributed to a ceasefire in Gaza and restored relative calm to the region.

Rabie also reviewed the administrative and institutional developments implemented under the SCA’s 2030 strategy, which focuses on empowering young professionals through advanced training programs, upgrading vocational training centers, establishing a Center for Innovation and Excellence, and developing the Maritime Training and Simulation Academy.

He further highlighted efforts to enhance navigational safety through the completion and commissioning of the Southern Sector Development Project, which increased navigational safety in the canal by 28%. These efforts were accompanied by the modernization of the canal’s operational systems and the introduction of new navigational services, including crew change services, marine ambulance services, and maritime rescue operations, most notably the rescue of the crew of the vessel FENER at the entrance to Port Said.

Rabie emphasized that the Suez Canal has transformed into an advanced logistics hub supported by comprehensive digital transformation across all operations. He added that the Authority’s shipyards and affiliated companies have made significant progress in building marine support units as part of the strategy to localize the maritime industry under the slogan “Made in Egypt,” culminating in a contract to export two tugboats to the Italian company NERI.

At the conclusion of the opening session, Rabie inspected the pavilion of the SCA’s affiliated companies and shipyards at the Martech 2026 International Maritime Technology Exhibition, held on the sidelines of the MARLOG Conference. The exhibition features broad participation from local and international companies and is among the largest specialized maritime and port services exhibitions in Egypt and the Middle East.