CAIRO- Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie stressed that navigation traffic in the Suez Canal is normal, and has not been affected by ongoing incidents in the Strait of Bab El-Mandeb.
During an interview with Sada El Balad satellite TV channel on Sunday evening, Rabie added the statement released by the SCA earlier on Sunday had reassured the world that traffic through the canal was not affected by these incidents.
He said the authority is closely following the ongoing tensions in the Red Sea.
Rabie added that 77 ships loaded with 4 million tons crossed the Suez Canal route on Sunday, noting that as many as 2,128 ships had crossed the global trade route since November 19.
Rabie stressed that the Suez Canal will remain the fastest and shortest route for the ships, compared to the longer the Cape of Good Hope route around Africa.
Rabie’s statements followed the announcement of some shipping companies to temporarily divert their ships from the Bab Al-Mandeb, which leads to the global trade route through the Red Sea.
The authority chief said the very few number of companies that diverted their ships from the strait did not affect the canal’s revenues, which rose by $300 billion in 2023.
He noted that the canal offers its services to crossing vessels without any discrimination.
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