Suez Canal Authority, China’s CSTC Explore Strategic Cooperation to Develop Maritime Industry

Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie met with Zhang Jinming, Vice President of China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC), a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the world’s largest shipbuilding conglomerates, to discuss potential cooperation in modernizing and developing the Authority’s shipyards and affiliated companies.

The meeting, held at the SCA headquarters in Cairo, was attended by senior officials from CSTC’s Egypt and Africa offices as well as SCA executives. Discussions focused on proposed areas of collaboration aimed at upgrading the Authority’s shipyards and associated companies using the latest global technologies in shipbuilding and maritime services.

At the start of the meeting, Admiral Rabie reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to localizing the maritime industry across all sectors and restoring Egypt’s leadership in shipbuilding and repair through strategic partnerships with leading international shipyards. 

He emphasized the importance of knowledge transfer, advanced technology integration, and enhancement of technical infrastructure and equipment, alongside specialized training programs to improve administrative and technical human resources.

Rabie noted that the Suez Canal Authority already possesses a strong industrial base, including multiple shipyards and companies engaged in building and maintaining a wide range of marine units. 

With its strategic geographic location and highly skilled workforce, the Authority is well-positioned to meet local market needs and compete regionally in the near future.

For his part, Zhang Jinming expressed CSTC’s enthusiasm for partnering with the Suez Canal Authority, describing the collaboration as a new pillar in strengthening China–Egypt strategic relations. 

He highlighted that cooperation with CSSC offers promising opportunities to enhance operational and administrative efficiency across the Authority’s shipyards, leveraging the group’s comprehensive solutions and long-standing expertise in the global maritime sector. These include training, digitalization, technical consulting, and the provision of industrial supplies and spare parts.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Rabie instructed the immediate launch of a comprehensive development study, to be preceded by information exchange and on-site visits to the Authority’s shipyards and subsidiaries. The goal is to determine the optimal modernization roadmap in line with market requirements and future industrial trends.