The chairperson of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Admiral Osama Rabie, has discussed the impact of developments in the Red Sea region with Soren Toft, the CEO of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), via video conference.
During the discussions, which took place amid ongoing disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea, Rabie highlighted a joint initiative to provide maintenance and repair services for some MSC vessels at the Port Said shipyard. Toft responded that MSC does not favour sailing via the Cape of Good Hope and is awaiting stability in the region to resume transits through the Suez Canal.
The meeting, held to review MSC’s shipping policies in the Suez Canal, focused on the impact of the evolving situation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait on global navigation. It was attended by members of the SCA board, as well as a delegation of MSC representatives in Egypt. The delegation included Tarek Fahmy, CEO of MSC Egypt; Karim Fahmy, Operations Development Manager of MSC in Egypt; Ezz El-Din Salem, Operations Manager in Egypt; and Ihab Fathy, Operations Manager of the Suez Canal Zone in Egypt.
Rabie affirmed the SCA’s commitment to direct and effective communication with its clients, as well as meeting the demands of the current situation. He noted the importance of combining efforts to reach mechanisms that achieve mutual interests.
Rabie expressed his hope for continued discussions and monitoring of the situation with MSC. He said that this would allow for exchanging views and clarifying the situation, leading to more positive decisions towards a gradual return to navigation in the region.
Rabie explained that the Suez Canal has continued to provide maritime services since the start of the Red Sea crisis. He added that it has been developing its services and introducing new maritime services, including marine rescue, ship repair and maintenance, crew changes and maritime ambulance services.
The SCA chairman also expressed his appreciation for the long-standing cooperative relationship with MSC. He said it has led to new opportunities to benefit from the maintenance and repair services offered by the SCA’s shipyards, noting the completion of repair and maintenance work on the MSC ROSSELLA lll by the Port Said shipyard on the floating dock “Fakhr El-Qanah.”
Rabie added that cooperation is not limited to periodic maintenance, as the Port Said shipyard is undertaking the replacement of the bulbous bow of the container ship MSC RENAISSANCE with a new one. He said the new design, whose execution drawings were prepared by the Port Said shipyard, takes into account modern trends to reduce fuel consumption, contributing to lower carbon emissions. He highlighted that this is the first operation of its kind in a national shipyard.
Rabie emphasised that the Suez Canal is continuing its strategy to develop the waterway, pointing to the completion and operation of the southern sector development project, which he said provides mega-ships with greater navigational safety during canal transits.
Toft stressed the importance of closely monitoring developments in the Red Sea region and awaiting a permanent breakthrough and comprehensive stability. He noted that the situation remains complex, while praising the Suez Canal’s flexibility in dealing with current challenges and understanding the situation and the needs of its clients.
Toft said that the Cape of Good Hope route is not MSC’s preferred option, as it lacks maritime services, making sailing there an often-cautious undertaking. He voiced his hope for a lasting return to stability in the region, which would lead to MSC vessels sailing through the region and transiting the Suez Canal again.
