Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Suez Canal Authority considering expanding southern channel, chairman says in wake of Ever Given debacle

Suez Canal Authority considering expanding southern channel, chairman says in wake of Ever Given debacle

The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority has said the state-owned organization, which controls the vital waterway, is considering expanding the canal where the Ever Given became stranded and blocked the trade artery for a week.
“Our procedures are sound, we are just aiming to improve the service,” Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), told Reuters on Tuesday, as he confirmed that the body would look at expanding the southern section of the waterway.

Rabie said the organization was also looking at procuring new equipment, including cranes that could offload cargo at heights of up to 250 meters (820 ft), and tugboats.

“We will try to get two more tugboats, with pulling power of more than 200 tons – 250, 280, depending,” Rabie said, adding that the SCA will continue to take ships the size of the Ever Given and will have improved capacities to deal with future logistics challenges.

Regarding the Ever Given, one of the world’s largest cargo ships, which was freed from the banks of the canal after it blocked the waterway for nearly a week, Rabie said the SCA had the necessary data and would investigate the incident. “We are talking about two or three more days, God willing. But we won’t take much time,” he said, adding the ship would be able to travel against once procedures have been completed.

On Tuesday, the vitally important maritime trade route was blocked again – this time for approximately two hours – as the M/T Rumford experienced engine problems while traversing a narrow stretch of water in the Suez Canal. The SCA told Reuters that the issue had only lasted about 10 minutes and “was fixed.”

Maritime tracking website Vessel Finder showed the M/T Rumford travelling north through the canal and approaching the end of the narrow passage where the Ever Given was stuck before coming to a halt. Their data indicates that the oil tanker was stationary for nearly two hours, between 8:14 GMT and 9:59 GMT.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×