Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), conducted an inspection tour on Sunday to monitor navigation operations and assess the readiness of pilotage and marine crews along the canal.
During his visit to the Pilots’ Marina in Ismailia, Rabie reviewed the workflow related to vessel guidance and the coordination of pilot teams responsible for navigating ships transiting the canal from both directions. He emphasized the strategic role played by the marina as a central hub for replacing pilot teams aboard passing vessels.
Rabie stressed the importance of maintaining the highest levels of operational readiness across all canal-related sites, including marine units and personnel. He also instructed officials to strictly adhere to maritime safety procedures during pilot boarding and disembarkation operations, while intensifying training programs for marine crews to handle emergency situations through both theoretical and practical drills.
Following the inspection, the SCA chief held a meeting with members of the authority’s Crisis Management Committee at the Crisis Management Center. During the meeting, he directed officials to hold regular coordination meetings and enhance preparedness across all operational sites and marine units connected to the canal’s navigational channel.
Rabie also called for closer coordination with relevant state institutions, including crisis management units in the three Suez Canal governorates and the Cabinet’s Strategic Command Center, in line with the government’s broader strategy to ensure integrated crisis management across key national infrastructure.
As part of a broader two-day field tour, Rabie inspected several SCA work sites to monitor operational readiness and infrastructure development. On Saturday, he visited the Marine Units Berthing Area affiliated with the Movement Department to review ongoing construction works aimed at upgrading existing berths and building new ones.
During the visit, Rabie reviewed the operational lineup of various marine units, including rescue tugboats, escort tugboats, and service launches. He also examined operating schedules, verified shift arrangements, and checked the technical condition of the marine fleet.
The SCA chairman directed officials to maintain a high level of readiness among marine units and to conduct regular operational drills to ensure equipment reliability and improve crew efficiency, while stressing strict adherence to safety and security procedures.
Rabie further reviewed construction works on new marine berths supervised by the authority’s engineering department. The project includes the construction of a U-shaped marine berth stretching 300 meters with a depth of 9 meters, designed to accommodate newly built rescue and escort tugboats. In addition, another L-shaped berth with a depth of 4 meters and a total length of 170 meters is being developed to serve new marine launches.
The upgrade plan also involves the rehabilitation and modernization of two existing berths as part of a broader development program for the marine units’ docking area.
During his tour, Rabie also inspected security formations of personnel from the Suez Canal Security and Guarding Company, urging them to remain vigilant and committed to their assigned posts.
The inspection visit further included a tour of SCA Hospital No. 6 in Ismailia, where Rabie assessed the readiness of medical and emergency services. He reviewed the hospital’s ambulance and emergency response capabilities and inspected the surgical building to ensure it is prepared to handle critical cases.
Rabie emphasized the need to enhance the quality of healthcare services provided to employees and ensure the hospital’s ability to respond swiftly to emergencies through well-equipped operating rooms, intensive care units, and fully staffed medical teams.
He concluded his visit by meeting with emergency and ambulance staff, praising their vital role in delivering urgent medical care and responding effectively to emergency cases.
Follow the latest news on Google News
