Egypt Daily News – Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, participated today, Sunday, in the opening of the 14th edition of the annual international conference on maritime transport and logistics, “MARLOG.” The event is organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport under the patronage of the League of Arab States and in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport from February 23 to 25.
Conference Details
The event was attended by El Fadil Ould Sidaty, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime and Port Infrastructure of Mauritania; Major General Nihad Shaheen, Deputy Minister of Transport, representing Lieutenant General Kamel El Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport; Lieutenant General Ahmed Khaled Hassan, Governor of Alexandria; and Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport. Many officials from the maritime transport industry at the Arab, regional, and international levels also participated.
Osama Rabie emphasized the great significance of the MARLOG conference at this critical time, given current geopolitical changes and economic challenges reshaping the global balance.
He praised the conference’s focus on artificial intelligence applications, which have become a key tool for enhancing resilience and innovation in many critical sectors, particularly in transport and logistics.
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority highlighted that the Red Sea crisis has created unprecedented security challenges in the region, negatively affecting the stability and sustainability of global supply chains. He stressed the need for joint efforts to mitigate these negative impacts and ensure the continuity of maritime services in the area.
Rabie outlined the authority’s efforts to minimize the crisis’s impact on its customers by maintaining continuous and direct communication with shipping lines, stabilizing pricing policies, and introducing a range of marine and logistical services to meet customer needs in both normal and emergency conditions. These services include ship maintenance and repair, maritime rescue, pollution control, marine ambulance services, crew changes, and fuel supply.
He noted that joint discussions with shipping lines and the recognition of positive indicators for stability in the Red Sea region have led 47 ships, since the beginning of the month, to redirect their routes to pass through the Suez Canal instead of the Cape of Good Hope. He expects more shipping lines to resume using the canal as stability in the region continues.
Rabie added that various challenges have not hindered the Suez Canal’s ambitious development plans, thanks to the support and sponsorship of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, ensuring the canal’s readiness and the continuous improvement of services for customers.
He highlighted the Suez Canal’s recent achievement in infrastructure and navigation development with the completion and operation of the southern sector expansion project. This development offers several navigational advantages, including increased maritime safety, reduced impact of water currents on passing ships, and enhanced canal capacity by accommodating an additional 6 to 8 ships.
The Chairman also discussed ongoing efforts to localize the manufacturing of various marine units in the authority’s affiliated shipyards and companies. He announced the establishment of Egypt and Africa’s first floating concrete pontoon manufacturing plant by the Suez Canal Ports Company, a subsidiary of the authority. The facility will significantly reduce costs by 60% compared to importing similar pontoons and will support the construction of yacht marinas and small boat docks.
Rabie further explained that the Suez Canal has taken significant steps to establish the production of different types of tugboats in its shipyards and companies, in collaboration with the private sector. The authority’s shipyards also have extensive expertise in building marine launches, floating docks, bridges, and ferries.
At the conclusion of the opening session, Osama Rabie toured the exhibition space designated for the Suez Canal Authority’s subsidiaries at the IME 2025 marine services and equipment exhibition. This exhibition, held alongside the MARLOG conference, features extensive participation from local and international companies specializing in port services, maritime transport, petroleum, and related industries.
