Rabie: "The Suez Canal is ready to resume various shipping services."

Hapag-Lloyd's Regional Managing Director for Southern Europe: "The Suez Canal is witnessing a notable improvement in the quality of services provided to the maritime transport industry."

 Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), met with Mr. Juan Pablo Richards, Regional Managing Director for Southern Europe at the shipping line Hapag-Lloyd, to discuss avenues for cooperation. The meeting took place at the SCA headquarters in the Guidance Building in Ismailia.

The meeting was attended by Eng. Marwan El-Samak, Chairman of Hapag-Lloyd’s Egyptian operations; Dr. Fathy Abdel-Bary, Director of the SCA’s Planning, Research, and Studies Department; and Eng. Abdel-Rahman Ramadan, Director of the SCA’s Transit Department.

Related: Maersk, Hapag and Gemini launch a new Asia-Med service passing through the Suez Canal

At the start of the meeting, Admiral Osama Rabie emphasised that the Suez Canal is ready to support a range of shipping services. He noted that the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has continuously developed its navigational services and modernised its maritime fleet to meet the evolving needs of its clients.

The SCA Chairman expressed his anticipation for Hapag-Lloyd’s shipping services to return fully to the Suez Canal. He emphasised that the canal is essential for the sustainability of global supply chains, especially given the current geopolitical situation and rapid changes in the maritime transport industry. For his part, Mr Juan Pablo Richards, Hapag-Lloyd’s Regional Director for Southern Europe, expressed his appreciation for the fruitful and long-standing cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority. He also praised the significant improvement in the quality of services provided by the Suez Canal Authority to the maritime transport industry.

Mr. Richards noted that Hapag-Lloyd is closely monitoring developments in the Red Sea region and indicators of maritime safety. This ongoing assessment allows the company to make informed decisions about adjusting and updating its sailing schedules as transits via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal gradually resume.

He added that additional Hapag-Lloyd shipping services are expected to return to transiting through the Suez Canal, joining the two services that are already utilizing the route to and from Asia. He hopes that the Canal's navigation rates will continue to improve.

Furthermore, Mr Richards expressed his interest in exploring new opportunities for cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority. In this regard, he highlighted the potential for collaboration between the Maritime Training and Simulation Academy of the Suez Canal Authority and the Damietta Alliance Container Terminal ("Tahya Misr 1") at Damietta Port. This initiative would involve training ship captains, given Hapag-Lloyd's significant investment in the Damietta Alliance terminal.

George Safwat, Official Spokesperson for the Suez Canal Authority, stated
Source: Press release by Maritime Tickers

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