On Friday, the canal witnessed the passage of the giant container ship CMA CGM JULES VERNE as part of the northern convoy, while the container ship CMA CGM ADONIS also passed as part of the southern convoy through the new waterway.
The Maltese-flagged CMA CGM JULES VERNE led the northbound traffic on its journey from Malta to the port of Jeddah. The ship is 396 meters long, 53.6 meters wide, has a draft of 11.5 meters, and has a total capacity of 180,000 tons.
The CMA CGM ADONIS container ship led the canal's southbound traffic on its voyage from Singapore to Alexandria. The vessel is 366 meters long, 51 meters wide, has a draft of 53 feet, and carries a gross tonnage of 164,000 tons.
This follows the Authority's issuance of incentives and discounts to encourage the return of large container ships to transit the canal. Circular No. 3/2025 grants a 15% discount for container ships with a net tonnage exceeding 130,000 tons, whether laden or empty, for a period of three months.
Rabie emphasized that the geopolitical challenges and the successive
changes in the region's developments impose an urgent need to deal flexibly
with the surrounding market variables and to make effective strategic decisions
supported by flexible pricing policies that contribute to encouraging major
shipping lines to resume their voyages through the canal.
The Chairman of the Authority pointed out that giant container ships are of relative importance within the fleet's vessel categories, due to their savings in operational costs, support for the stability of global supply chains, and enhancement of environmental sustainability. He emphasized that the return of giant container ships to transit through the Suez Canal is inevitable, given the canal's numerous competitive advantages, making it the shortest, fastest, safest, and most sustainable waterway.
In another context, the Authority's maritime rescue tugs successfully dealt professionally with navigational emergencies and technical malfunctions experienced by the diving vessel RED ZED 1 during its transit through the canal as part of the northern convoy. The vessel experienced a technical failure in its steering at kilometer 45 of the canal numbering before the Qantara ferry, requiring the intervention of three Authority tugs to secure it. The repairs were completed by the ship's crew, and the vessel proceeded to the Balah area without affecting navigation.