New Suez Canal doubles revenues, enhances global trade route, says Lieutenant General Osama Rabie

He noted that annual revenues increased from $4.8 billion to a record $10.2 billion. Before the expansion, the canal had limited navigational safety and depth, preventing it from accommodating modern mega-ships and leading to longer transit times of up to 22 hours. The parallel canal, envisioned by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, increased daily transit capacity from 42 to 85 ships, with a record of 107 ships handled on one day after the Ever Given crisis.

Transit times were reduced to 11 hours, making it the world's shortest, most cost-effective, and safest maritime route. Rabie also highlighted ongoing expansion efforts, including developments in the southern sector and a 10-kilometer extension of the Small Bitter Lakes double-channel, increasing the two-way canal's total length to 82 kilometers. Despite Red Sea tensions temporarily reducing ship traffic by 50%, President El-Sisi has directed the authority to maintain full operational readiness and high-level service.