The Suez Canal achieved a significant operational milestone on Saturday as two mega container ships from global carrier CMA CGM successfully transited the waterway, reinforcing the canal’s readiness to handle the world’s largest vessels amid gradually stabilizing conditions in the Red Sea.
Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced that the canal continues to deliver top-tier safety and navigation services. His remarks came during an onboard inspection of the CMA CGM Jules Verne, one of the French shipping group’s largest ships, as it sailed northbound from Singapore to Lebanon.
Saturday’s passage marked the vessel’s first south-to-north journey through the Bab al-Mandeb strait in 2025 and its third Suez Canal transit this year, following earlier crossings on June 20 and September 20. Measuring 396 meters in length and 53.6 meters in width, the Jules Verne carries a total tonnage of 176,000 tons and operates at a draft of 11.5 meters.
Rabie, joined by CMA CGM executives in Egypt, including Tarek Zaghloul, CEO for Egypt and Sudan, and Operations Director Amr El-Shafei, discussed the quality of navigational services along the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and the canal route.
Meanwhile, the CMA CGM Helium—335 meters long, 51 meters wide, and carrying 130,000 tons—completed its first transit as part of the southbound convoy en route from Singapore to Alexandria Port.
Rabie directed the deployment of comprehensive safety measures for both vessels, including senior maritime pilots, escort tugboats, and continuous monitoring through guidance stations and the canal’s central traffic control system.
He highlighted the “strategic relationship” between the Suez Canal and CMA CGM, noting the carrier’s continued reliance on the waterway despite Red Sea security disruptions. He added that outcomes from the recent Sharm El-Sheikh Summit have further encouraged the company to resume deploying its large ships via the Suez route.
With stability gradually returning to the Red Sea, Rabie said global shipping lines are reassessing their diversion strategies and may increasingly revert to transiting the Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal. The SCA plans to intensify coordination with major carriers to support a phased and potentially complete return of container traffic.
The canal recorded 38 vessel transits on Saturday, with total net tonnage reaching 1.7 million tons—affirming its position as one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors.
