The Suez Canal successfully tested a new expansion

The Suez Canal successfully tested a new expansion last December that allows vessels to navigate simultaneously in both directions along a 10 km stretch in its southern section, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).

SCA President Osama Rabie explained that two bulk carriers, the Fu Xing Hai, built in 2016 with a deadweight tonnage of 38,800, and the Suvari Bey, built in 1997 with a deadweight tonnage of 24,000, were the first to cross the newly expanded section after the dredging works in the Small Bitter Lake were completed. Rabie described the project as a «major qualitative leap» that will significantly enhance the canal’s capacity and efficiency.

Actual operations through the expanded section will begin once the updated navigation charts for the sector are published, allowing an additional six to eight vessels to transit each day, according to the SCA. With this expansion, the Suez Canal now features 82 kilometers of dual-lane traffic sections, out of a total of 193 km between Port Said in the north and Suez in the south.

This announcement follows Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi’s revelation late last year that Suez Canal revenues dropped by more than 60% during 2024. Al-Sisi stated that Egypt lost approximately $7 billion due to Houthi attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which have disrupted maritime transport and global trade.

Despite this revenue decline, the president has instructed the SCA to continue developing the canal, improving navigation services, and promoting its importance for global trade.