Monday 24 Feb
Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, participated, Sunday, in the opening of the 14th edition of the International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (Marlog), organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport under the auspices of the League of Arab States and in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, from February 23 to 25.
The opening was attended by Minister El Fadhil Ould Sidati, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Major General Nihad Shaheen, Deputy Minister of Transport, acting on behalf of Lieutenant General Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport, Major General Ahmed Khaled Hassan, Governor of Alexandria, Professor Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, in addition to a large number of officials in the maritime transport industry at the Arab, regional, and international levels.
In his speech, Lieutenant General Osama Rabie emphasized the
importance of holding the Marlog International Conference at this sensitive
time, amidst geopolitical changes and economic challenges that are reshaping
the global balance of power. He also praised the conference's focus on
highlighting artificial intelligence applications, which have become a vital
tool for enhancing innovation and resilience in various sectors, especially
transport and logistics.
The Chairman of the Authority pointed out that the Red Sea
crisis has imposed unprecedented security challenges, negatively affecting the
stability and sustainability of global supply chains. He called for concerted
efforts to contain the negative impacts and ensure the continuation of maritime
services in the region.
Lieutenant General Rabie reviewed the efforts made by the
Authority to mitigate the effects of the crisis on its clients, through
continuous communication with shipping lines, stable pricing policies, and the
provision of a range of maritime and logistical services, such as ship
maintenance and repair, maritime rescue, pollution control, maritime ambulance,
crew changes, and refueling.
He explained that discussions with shipping lines, and with
positive indicators of the return of stability to the Red Sea, have led to 47
ships changing their course to cross the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good
Hope since the beginning of this month, with expectations of more shipping
lines returning.
The Chairman of the Authority affirmed that the challenges
have not prevented the Suez Canal from completing its ambitious development
plans, thanks to the support of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. He pointed to
the completion of the southern sector development project, which contributes to
increasing navigational safety, reducing the impact of water currents, and
increasing the canal's capacity by 6-8 ships.
At the end of his speech, Lieutenant General Rabie addressed
the efforts to localize the shipbuilding industry, announcing the establishment
of the first floating concrete pontoon factory in the Canal Ports Company,
which is the first of its kind in Egypt and will contribute to reducing the
cost of building yacht marinas and berths by 40%. He also pointed to serious
steps in manufacturing marine tugs, launches, halls, floating bridges, and
ferries in the Authority's shipyards and companies.
After the opening session, Lieutenant General Osama Rabie inspected the pavilion of the Authority's affiliated companies at the IME 2025 Maritime Services and Equipment Exhibition, held on the sidelines of the conference, with wide participation from local and international companies in the fields of port services, maritime transport, and petroleum.
