Navigation movement at Suez Canal hits record high - Mamish

ISMAILIA, Egypt - 26 August 2018: Navigation movement at the Suez Canal hit a record high on Saturday, with 49 ships transiting the international waterway carrying 4.2 million tons, head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Mohab Mamish said in a statement.

The south-bound convoy included 33 ships with a total cargo of 2.9 million tons, while the north-bound convoy included 16 ships carrying 1.3 million tons, he added.

Eight giant ships transited the waterway, Mamish said, noting that each of them carried more than 150,000 tons.

Meanwhile, he said giant cruise ship Viking Orion crossed the canal on Saturday as part of the south-bound convoy.

The ship is set to visit a number of Egyptian ports, such as Safaga and Sharm el Sheikh within the framework of the efforts made to promote tourism to the country's ports, Mamish indicated.