Adm. Rabiee: “The Suez Canal is an integral part of global trade and a direct reflection of the growth or challenges it witnesses.”
72.5% is the execution percentage of the Canal doubling project within the southern sector development project.
US Ambassador to Cairo: “We support the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandeb region… and value the SCA’s efforts in handling the current challenges.”
Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, has received today Ambassador Herro Mustafa Garg, US Ambassador to Cairo, accompanied by a high-profile delegation to discuss ways of joint cooperation at the SCA’s headquarters, Al-Irshad Building, at the city of Ismailia.
This is the first official visit to the Suez Canal since Ambassador Mustafa Garg took office last November, and it aims to get more acquainted with the Suez Canal and the developments in its developmental projects.
The delegation included Mr. Chris Riker, Minister Counselor for Agricultural affairs, Mr. Brian Nafziger, Deputy Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs, and representatives of the US embassy’s Economic Section.
At the outset of the meeting, Adm. Rabiee asserted that the current challenges in the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandeb region have proven beyond any doubt the strategic importance of the Suez Canal in the navigation community and what it represents as a pillar of stability and sustainability in global supply chains that are witnessing obvious disturbances since the outbreak of the crisis.
H.E. clarified that traffic through the Canal is an integral part of global trade and a direct reflection of the growth it witnesses or the challenges it is faced with, stressing that the Suez Canal is continuing to provide its navigational and maritime services as per normal despite the current challenges.
Adm. Rabiee also emphasized the continuity of the SCA’s efforts to support its clients in times of crisis through implementing several mechanisms aimed at minimizing the impact of the current situation in the Red Sea, and providing a bundle of navigational and maritime services that fit the needs of transiting vessels under normal and urgent conditions. These services include bunkering, maritime ambulance services, as well as maritime salvage, pollution fighting as well as ship repair and maintenance services in the SCA's shipyards, among other services.
As for the SCA’s development strategy, H.E. explained that the Egyptian state has managed, in the past few years, to achieve an unprecedented developmental leap in infrastructure projects to develop the Suez Canal’s navigational channel, as well as the logistical and industrial zone surrounding the Canal to present a promising model of integrated maritime and shipping services.
The Chairman gave an overview of the updates of the Canal’s southern sector development project, the waterway’s latest development project, which shall contribute to increasing the margin of navigational safety by 28%, pointing out the completion of execution works on the project’s first phase; i.e. widening the Canal by 40 m. eastward from Km 132 to km 162 (Canal marking), and the continuance of work on the development project’s second phase which entails doubling the waterway from km 122 to km 132 (Canal marking) at an execution percentage of 72.5%.
H.E. touched upon the SCA’s strategy to announce the Suez Canal “The Green Canal” by 2030 through adopting environment-friendly policies and projects amid the Egypt’s efforts in green transitioning with a view to announce Egypt as the green hydrogen platform in the region.
On her part, Ambassador Mustafa Garg lauded the SCA’s efforts to support its clients and its keenness on achieving active communication with them to meet their needs amid this difficult period, expressing her hopes that the current situation in the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandeb region ends as soon as possible especially as the United States of America is keen on the return of freedom of navigation in that region given its importance in particular to maintaining the sustainability of global supply chains.
H.E. expressed her focus on working towards fostering the humanitarian ties, and promoting the bilateral relationships between the two countries on all the different levels in the upcoming period.
At the end of the visit, Adm. Rabiee presented the commemorative shield of the New Suez Canal to Ambassador Mustafa Garg and extended an invitation to Her Excellency to tour the New Suez Canal.