Admiral Ossama Rabiee: "The Suez Canal has never wavered in prioritizing its customers' interests by freezing transit dues and adopting flexible marketing policies."
Secretary General of the ICS: "We are keen to convey messages of reassurance to clients that the Canal is safe and continues to operate with high efficiency."
The Suez Canal remains the optimal maritime destination for East-West global trade.
The Canal is the fastest, shortest, safest, and most sustainable waterway compared to alternative shipping routes.
Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), and Mr. Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), discussed ways to enhance mutual cooperation in light of current geopolitical challenges and their adverse impact on the sustainability of global supply chains. The meeting, attended by Admiral Ashraf Atwa, Vice Chairman of SCA, took place at the Suez Canal Yacht Marina in Ismailia.
The meeting was also attended by Dr. Fathi Abdelbary, Director of the Planning, Research, and Studies Department at SCA, Melissande Cathélaz, Shipping Policy Advisor at ICS, and Eng. Sherine El Naggar, Chairman of the El Naggar Shipping Group.
At the start of the meeting, Admiral Rabiee expressed his pride in the long-standing partnership and cooperation with ICS, emphasizing his commitment to maintaining continuous and direct communication with all key stakeholders in the maritime community.
SCA Chairman noted that the current geopolitical challenges in the region require concerted efforts, unified visions, and joint action to ensure the resilience of global supply chains.
Admiral Rabiee explained that while the Suez Canal has been negatively affected by geopolitical instability in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab resulting in a decline in transit rates compared to 2023; SCA has not hesitated to prioritize its customers' interests. This was achieved by freezing transit tolls and adopting flexible marketing policies to maintain the necessary balance for clients amidst market volatility and rising ocean freight rates.
Furthermore, Admiral Rabiee stressed that despite various challenges and consecutive crises, the Suez Canal continues to provide its navigational and maritime services around the clock without interruption. SCA has also worked on developing and introducing new maritime services, such as maritime ambulance and salvage services, as well as crew change operations and waste disposal for transiting vessels.
He affirmed the Suez Canal's readiness to provide logistical and maritime services with full efficiency, particularly following the development and modernization of the waterway—most notably the Southern Section Development Project. This is in addition to the comprehensive modernization of the SCA's marine fleet, which has been bolstered with high-capacity salvage tugs, escort tugs, and pilot boats.
For his part, Mr. Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of ICS, affirmed that the Suez Canal remains the prime maritime route for trade between the East and West compared to other shipping routes. He expressed confidence in the full return of major shipping lines to the Suez Canal once regional stability is restored, given that the Canal is the fastest, shortest, safest, and most sustainable waterway.
The ICS Secretary General noted that communication with the SCA provides an excellent opportunity to exchange information, gain firsthand insight into the latest development projects, and convey reassurance to shipping companies and maritime stakeholders that the Canal is secure and continues to operate efficiently.
Kazakos praised the serious steps taken by SCA recently, stressing that the SCA's modernization and development strategy remains a "true investment" that SCA will reap the benefits of once regional conditions stabilize and navigation returns to its normal rates.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Admiral Osama Rabiee witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to sustain joint cooperation between the Suez Canal Authority and the International Chamber of Shipping. This agreement marks the culmination of years of fruitful collaboration and a renewal of previous frameworks.
The terms of the cooperation include: activating communication between the two parties, facilitating the exchange of information and expertise, marketing the maritime and logistical services provided by SCA to its clients, monitoring updates related to waterway development projects, reviewing the marketing and pricing policies adopted by SCA, in addition to enhancing maritime security and adhering to international environmental standards to reduce carbon emissions.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Fathi Abdel Bary, Director of the Planning, Research, and Studies Department at SCA, and Mr. Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of ICS.
The visit also included an inspection of various training simulators at the Maritime Training and Simulation Center, followed by a visit to the Suez Canal Museum to view its prominent historical artifacts.