Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced the canal’s readiness to accommodate giant container ships after stability returned to the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb regions following a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Houthis had previously suspended attacks on ships in response to the ceasefire. On October 16, 2025, the Houthi military forces reported that their naval operations had targeted Israeli ships violating Yemen’s navigation ban, carrying out 346 operations across the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, targeting over 228 vessels.

Rabie made his announcement during an inspection of navigation through the canal aboard the giant container ship CMA CGM Jules Verne, transiting as part of the southbound convoy from Singapore to Lebanon. The vessel safely passed through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This marked the ship’s first southbound transit via Bab el-Mandeb and its third overall transit of the canal, following northbound voyages on June 20 and September 20, 2025.

Rabie also observed the transit of CMA CGM Helium on its maiden voyage through the canal as part of the southbound convoy from Singapore to Alexandria. The ship measures 335 meters long, 51 meters wide, with a draft of 9.5 meters and a gross tonnage of 130,000 tons.

The Chairman emphasized that all necessary measures were taken to ensure safe passage, including deploying senior pilots, providing navigational assistance from tugboats, and real-time monitoring from the main traffic office and pilot stations along the canal.

Rabie praised the strategic partnership between the Suez Canal Authority and CMA CGM, highlighting the group’s continued commitment to transiting the canal despite previous security challenges. He noted that the transit of two large container ships, including CMA CGM Jules Verne and the newly launched CMA CGM Helium, underscores the canal’s importance as the shortest, fastest, and safest shipping route.

He added that the return of calm in the Red Sea region creates a new reality for the maritime sector, requiring shipping lines to consider resuming regular transit through Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal. Rabie also confirmed that the Authority will intensify discussions with major shipping lines to facilitate the phased or full return of container ships.

Captain Slavko Malasic, the captain of CMA CGM Jules Verne, expressed satisfaction with the transit, emphasizing CMA CGM’s commitment to using the Suez Canal for its Far East voyages and noting smooth passage through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Captain Jules Verne also praised the Canal’s development projects, particularly the Southern Sector Development Project, which has enhanced navigational safety and reduced waiting and transit times.
Source: Egypt Today