Up to 1,315 Vessels Transit Suez Canal with $449 Million in Revenues since Start of 2026

Up to 1,315 vessels have transited the Suez Canal since the beginning of 2026, generating revenues of $449 million on total net tonnage of 56 million tons, according to Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).

Rabie made the remarks on Sunday while participating in the opening session of the 15th edition of the International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (Marlog), organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, under the patronage of the League of Arab States and in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Transport. The conference runs from February 8 to 10.

The event was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport and Industry; Alexandria Governor Ahmed Khaled Hassan; Jordanian Minister of Transport Nidhal Mardini; Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis; Walid Gamal El-Din, Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone; and Ismail Abdel Ghafar, President of the Arab Academy.

In his keynote speech, Rabie praised the scientific and practical role of the Marlog Conference, noting that this year’s theme, “Smart and Resilient Logistics Corridors,” accurately reflects the current reality of the Suez Canal as a global symbol of resilience amid unprecedented challenges.

He stressed that the canal has successfully navigated a series of economic and geopolitical crises over recent years, transforming adversity into opportunity. These challenges included the COVID-19 pandemic, the grounding of the Ever Given, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the ongoing disruptions to navigation in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait.

Addressing the Red Sea crisis, Rabie said 2024 represented the peak of negative impact, while the fourth quarter of 2025 marked the beginning of a relative recovery, following the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, which contributed to a ceasefire in Gaza and restored regional stability.

According to Rabie, navigation statistics during the first half of fiscal year 2025/26 showed tangible improvement, with vessel transits rising by 5.8%, net tonnage increasing by 16%, and revenues climbing 18.5% compared to the same period of fiscal year 2024/2025.

He added that the figures recorded since the start of 2026 compare favorably with the same period last year, when 1,243 vessels transited the canal, carrying 47 million tons and generating $368 million in revenues.

Rabie also highlighted the SCA’s administrative development under its 2030 Strategy, which prioritizes empowering young cadres through advanced training programs, modernized vocational training centers, and the establishment of a Center of Excellence and Innovation. The authority has also upgraded its maritime training and simulation academy.

On the operational front, Rabie confirmed the completion and operation of the Southern Sector Development Project, which increased navigational safety in the canal by 28%, alongside the modernization of maritime services and the introduction of new offerings such as crew change services, maritime ambulance, and marine rescue operations. He cited the recent successful rescue of the crew of the vessel FENER near the Port Said entrance as a clear example.

Concluding his remarks, Rabie said the Suez Canal has redefined itself as an integrated, digitally driven logistics system, noting significant progress in shipbuilding and auxiliary vessel production at SCA shipyards under the “Made in Egypt” initiative, including contracts to export two tugboats to Italy’s NERI Group.

The SCA Chairman later toured the authority’s pavilion at the MarTech 2026 International Maritime Technology Exhibition, held alongside the conference, which features wide participation from local and international companies specializing in port services, maritime transport, petroleum services, and marine information systems.