Two Mega Container Ships Complete Successful Transit Through the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal achieved another operational milestone on Saturday with the successful passage of two mega container ships, reaffirming the waterway’s readiness to handle the world’s largest vessels amid improving maritime conditions in the Red Sea.

Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced that the canal continues to offer top-tier safety standards and world-class navigation services to global shipping lines. His remarks came during an inspection aboard the CMA CGM JULES VERNE, one of the largest vessels in the French shipping group’s fleet, as it transited northbound from Singapore to Lebanon.

Saturday’s passage marked the vessel’s first south-to-north transit through the Bab al-Mandeb strait in 2025, and its third overall Suez Canal crossing this year—following successful journeys on June 20 and September 20.

The CMA CGM JULES VERNE measures 396 meters in length, 53.6 meters in width, and carries a total tonnage of 176,000 tons with a draft of 11.5 meters. Rabie welcomed the ship’s crew and held discussions on the quality of navigational services provided throughout the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and into the canal. Representatives of CMA CGM in Egypt, including Tarek Zaghloul, the company’s CEO for Egypt and Sudan, and Amr El-Shafei, Operations Director, were also present.

Rabie also monitored the transit of the CMA CGM HELIUM, making its first journey through the canal as part of the southbound convoy. The ship, arriving from Singapore and heading to Alexandria Port, is 335 meters long, 51 meters wide, with a draft of 9.5 meters and a total capacity of 130,000 tons.

The SCA chief directed the implementation of comprehensive safety protocols to ensure secure passage for all vessels. This includes assigning senior maritime pilots, deploying escort tugboats, and providing real-time monitoring through the canal’s guidance stations and central traffic control office.

Rabie praised the “strategic relationship” between the Suez Canal and CMA CGM, noting that the company’s continued use of the canal, even during the Red Sea’s security challenges, demonstrates its confidence in the waterway. He added that the success of the recent Sharm El-Sheikh Summit encouraged CMA CGM to resume deploying its large container ships along the Suez route, culminating in Saturday’s dual transit of one of its largest and one of its newest vessels.

Rabie reiterated that the restoration of stability in the Red Sea is prompting global shipping lines to reconsider their routes and potentially return to transiting via Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal. The authority, he said, will intensify its coordination efforts with major carriers to discuss a gradual, and possibly full, return of container traffic.

The Suez Canal recorded 38 transiting vessels on Saturday, with a total net tonnage of 1.7 million tons, underscoring the waterway’s enduring role as one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.