Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced the start of a new phase in the return of container ships from major shipping lines to transit through the Suez Canal.

 The canal witnessed the passage of two giant container ships: CMA CGM JACQUES SAADE, one of the largest container ships in the world, in the northbound convoy, and CMA CGM ADONIS in the southbound convoy, both with a total cargo of 154,000 tons. This follows the full return of ships from the French CMA CGM group.

Rabie confirmed that the return of the major shipping lines is the result of the Suez Canal Authority’s intensified marketing efforts over the past period, which led to CMA CGM’s announcement of the full return of its ships and the gradual return of MAERSK’s fleet.

 He highlighted that these significant steps would have a positive impact on the maritime transport market, encouraging other shipping lines to adjust their schedules and resume their voyages through the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandeb via the Suez Canal.

 Rabie further emphasized that the coming year will witness a gradual improvement in canal traffic rates, returning to normal levels by the second half of the year.

The LNG-powered giant CMA CGM JACQUES SAADE led the northbound convoy in its journey from Morocco to Malaysia.

This vessel, part of the French CMA CGM group, is one of the largest container ships in the world and the largest container ship to transit the canal in the past two years.

 The ship measures 400 meters in length, 62 meters in width, with a gross tonnage of 231,000 tons and can carry up to 23,000 TEUs.

Additionally, the MAERSK SEBAROK container ship transited through the southbound convoy after passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

It was coming from the Port of Salalah in Oman and heading to the United States.

This marked the first MAERSK container ship to cross the canal following the signing of the strategic partnership agreement between the two sides. The ship is 318 meters long, 40 meters wide, with a draft of 14 meters, and a total cargo of 82,000 tons.