Egypt said maritime traffic through the Suez Canal remains safe and is operating normally, as the vital waterway records a significant recovery in vessel traffic and revenues despite continuing geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea region.

Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie said navigation through the canal was proceeding regularly and that vessels were receiving services efficiently, according to Anadolu Agency.

Rabie made the remarks during a ceremony in Alexandria marking World Maritime Day 2026, organised by the Maritime Transport Sector of Egypt’s Ministry of Transport.

He said Suez Canal revenues reached $567.1 million in August, representing a 56.7% increase from the $326 million recorded during the same month in 2025.

According to navigation data cited by the Suez Canal Authority, 1,358 vessels with a combined net tonnage of 68.3 million tonnes transited the canal in August. That compared with 1,070 vessels carrying a total net tonnage of 45.2 million tonnes in August 2025.

The figures represent year-on-year increases of 27% in vessel traffic, 51.1% in net tonnage and 56.7% in canal revenues, Rabie said.

He stressed that navigation remained stable and that canal services were being delivered with a high level of efficiency. He also praised Suez Canal pilots, who board vessels to guide them safely through the waterway, saying they were carrying out their duties with a high degree of readiness and professionalism.

Rabie said global and regional geopolitical developments in recent years had directly disrupted international supply chains, but argued that the Suez Canal had once again demonstrated its critical role in maintaining global trade flows.

The waterway is one of the world's most important maritime routes, providing the shortest sea connection between Europe and Asia and allowing ships to avoid the longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

The Egyptian announcement comes amid continuing security concerns around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the strategic maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and providing access to the Suez Canal.

Following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Yemen's Houthi movement began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, saying the attacks were linked to the conflict. The attacks prompted several major international shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing sailing times and costs.

The disruption also dealt a major blow to Egypt's Suez Canal revenues, which are an important source of foreign currency for the country.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty recently said that disruptions caused by tensions in the Red Sea had cost Egypt approximately $11 billion in lost Suez Canal revenues.

The latest figures reported by the Suez Canal Authority suggest that traffic and revenues have recovered substantially compared with the same period last year, although the strategic waterway remains exposed to developments affecting maritime security in the wider Red Sea region. (ILKHA)