72 ships pass Suez Canal on Jan. 2

CAIRO – 2 January 2019: The Suez Canal achieved on Wednesday, January 2, its second highest record, as 72 ships passed through the canal carrying around 5 million tons of loads, according to Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) Mohab Mamish.

In December 2017, the Suez Canal achieved its highest record as 74 ships carrying 5.2 million tons passed through the Suez Canal.

During a celebration marking the third anniversary of the New Suez Canal in August, Mamish referred that the year 2017-2018 recorded the highest annual revenues in the history of the canal with a $600 billion increase over the previous year.

Mamish said the flexible marketing policies and incentives granted to navigation lines, along with the establishment of bridges and tunnels in the canal area, contributed to the increase of revenues and the number of vessels crossing the waterway.

He said SCzone is taking part in many investment projects, pointing out to the importance of the waterway's location in the world and its role in serving international navigation.

Egypt will double its revenues from the canal by 2023, said Mamish, stressing that the country's development will start from the waterway.

He also said that the canal managed during the past years to receive the biggest and most advanced ships in the world after a series of studies and measures to improve its performance.