Speaking to Al-Qahera News television, the head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Osama Rabie, stressed that these raids, in solidarity with the population of the Gaza Strip, forced many ships to divert their trajectory.
In this regard, he recalled that in 2024 the interoceanic waterway lost seven billion dollars due to this cause, a decrease of 60 percent compared to the previous year.
In view of this situation, he announced several measures to revert or at least compensate for the loss of income.
We are partnering with foreign companies to benefit from their expertise in various sectors, such as maintenance, shipbuilding and aquaculture, he said.
He noted that the SCA launched a project to build floating docks and established a specialized training center for sailors.
Safety challenges in the Red Sea forced many ship owners and operators to take alternative routes instead of the canal, through which up to 12 percent of global maritime traffic flows.
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