The Suez Canal: The Lifeline of Egypt and the World
History records that Egypt was the first country to dig an artificial canal through its land to connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea via the Nile and its branches. As historical records show, the first to envision connecting the two seas—albeit indirectly through the Nile and its branches—was Pharaoh Senusret III of the Twelfth Dynasty. His aim was to strengthen trade and facilitate transportation between the East and the West. Ships coming from the Mediterranean would sail through the Nile to Zagazig, and from there to the Red Sea via the Bitter Lakes, which at that time were connected to it. Remnants of this canal still exist today in Geneifa, near Suez.
In 610 BCE, the canal became filled with silt, forming an earthen barrier that separated the Bitter Lakes from the Red Sea due to long periods of neglect. Pharaoh Necho II, also known as Nechos, exerted great effort to reopen the canal. He succeeded in connecting the Nile to the Bitter Lakes but failed to link them to the Red Sea. Later, in 510 BCE, Darius I, King of Persia, took an interest in the canal and restored the link between the Nile and the Bitter Lakes. However, like his predecessor, he was only able to connect the Bitter Lakes to the Red Sea through small channels that were navigable only during the Nile's flood season. It was Ptolemy II, in 285 BCE, who overcame all the challenges his predecessors faced. He successfully restored navigation throughout the entire canal by excavating the section between the Bitter Lakes and the Red Sea, replacing the narrow, seasonal channels with a fully navigable waterway.
The Romans saw the strategic and commercial value in reusing the canal for navigation. In 98 CE, the Roman Emperor Trajan excavated a new canal that began in Cairo at the mouth of the Gulf and ended in Abbasiya, where it reconnected with the old branch at Zagazig.
During the Byzantine era, around 400 CE, neglect struck again. Silt accumulated in the canal, rendering it completely unfit for navigation.
In 641 CE, Amr ibn al-As restored navigation in the canal and named it the "Canal of the Commander of the Faithful." He also considered digging a direct canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. However, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab discouraged him, fearing that such a project might expose Egypt to flooding from the Red Sea.
Later, in 760 CE, the Abbasid Caliph Abu Ja'far al-Mansur ordered the canal to be filled in to prevent it from being used to transport supplies to the rebellious people of Mecca and Medina. As a result, maritime navigation between the two seas ceased for nearly eleven centuries, during which Egypt relied on overland routes for trade. In 1820, Muhammad Ali Pasha ordered the restoration of part of the canal to irrigate the area between Abbasiya and Qassasin.
On November 30, 1854, the first concession decree was issued, granting Ferdinand de Lesseps the right to establish a company to dig the Suez Canal. Article One of this decree stated that De Lesseps must found and oversee the company. Article Two specified that the company's director would be appointed by the Egyptian government, while Article Three granted the concession a duration of ninety-nine years, starting from the date the canal opened. Article Five stipulated that the Egyptian government would receive 15% of the company’s net annual profits. The decree also stated that the canal transit fees would be determined through an agreement between the Khedive and the company, and that all nations would be treated equally, without discrimination or special privileges. Upon the expiration of the company’s concession, the Egyptian government would assume control of the canal and all its affiliated facilities.
A second concession decree was issued on January 5, 1856, containing 23 articles that clarified and expanded on the provisions of the first decree. Notably, Articles 14 and 15 of the second decree explicitly emphasized the neutrality of the canal. Article 14 stated: "The Grand Maritime Canal from Suez to Tineh and its associated ports shall remain open at all times as a neutral passageway for all commercial ships."
The Universal Company of the Maritime Canal of Suez was established on December 15, 1858, with a capital of 200 million francs (equivalent to 8 million pounds sterling), divided into 400,000 shares, each valued at 500 francs. The company allocated a specific number of shares to each country. Egypt was assigned 92,136 shares, while England, the United States, Austria, and Russia were allocated a combined total of 85,506 shares. However, these countries categorically refused to participate in the subscription. As a result of this refusal, Egypt was forced to borrow 28 million francs (approximately 1,120,000 pounds) at a high interest rate in order to purchase its allocated shares. This was done under the strong urging of Ferdinand de Lesseps and out of Egypt’s desire to support and ensure the success of the project. Consequently, Egypt’s total shareholding rose to 177,642 shares, valued at approximately 89 million francs (about 3,560,000 pounds), which amounted to nearly half of the company’s total capital.
On April 25, 1859, construction work on the Suez Canal officially began, despite objections from both Britain and the Ottoman Empire. On November 18, 1862, waters from the Mediterranean Sea flowed into Lake Timsah, which at the time was merely a depression in the ground surrounded by sand dunes, located halfway between Port Said and Suez.
The waters of the Mediterranean and Red Seas finally met on August 18, 1869, forming a vital artery for global navigation. Thus, the massive project was completed after ten years of work, during which 74 million cubic meters of earth were excavated. The total cost amounted to 433 million francs (approximately £17,320,000), which was nearly double the originally estimated budget.
The meeting of the two seas on August 18, 1869, marked the emergence of the Suez Canal — “the artery of prosperity for Egypt and the world” — which the late geographer Dr. Gamal Hamdan described as “the pulse of Egypt.” The Suez Canal is a sea-level artificial waterway that runs through Egypt from north to south across the Isthmus of Suez, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. It separates the continents of Asia and Africa and is the shortest maritime route between Europe and countries around the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. It is one of the most heavily used shipping lanes in the world.
Due to its speed and efficiency, the canal is widely used by modern ships traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. The tolls paid by vessels for passage through the canal represent a significant source of national income for Egypt.
The Suez Canal runs between Port Said and the Gulf of Suez, passing through terrain that varies in nature from one region to another. The soil layers in Port Said and its surrounding area consist mainly of sedimentary soil formed by the accumulation of Nile silt from the Damietta branch. This type of soil extends southward to El Qantara, about 40 kilometers from Port Said. Beyond El Qantara, the silt begins to mix with fine sand, forming the central zone of the canal between El Qantara and Kabrit, which consists mostly of sandy soil. In contrast, the southern zone has more compact soil, with rocky veins in some areas — some composed of soft sandstone and others of calcareous rock.
The side slopes of the canal’s water cross-section vary according to the soil type: in the northern sector, the slope is 4:1, while in the southern sector it is 3:1. The Suez Canal is unique in being a sea-level canal, with only slight variations in average water levels. The maximum tidal rise is about 65 centimeters in the north and approximately 1.9 meters in the south.
To protect the canal banks from erosion caused by ship-generated currents and waves, stone revetments and steel sheet piles are used, with designs tailored to the soil conditions of each area. Along both banks of the canal, mooring bollards are placed at regular intervals (every 125 meters) to allow ships to be secured in emergencies. Kilometer markers are also present. A railway line and a freshwater canal run parallel to the western side of the Suez Canal. The navigation route is marked by buoys (some lit, others reflective) to guide vessels, especially at night.
On the canal’s western bank, there are 15 pilot stations spaced approximately 10 kilometers apart to monitor vessel movement and provide emergency services. Navigation offices in Port Said, Suez, and Ismailia coordinate maritime traffic in the canal. These offices are interconnected with each other, the maritime stations, and passing vessels through a modern wired and wireless communications network, currently being upgraded using fiber-optic cables.
Ship communications have also been enhanced via satellite units, and radar coverage has been extended to include the entire Suez Canal area. This system enables automatic identification of ships as they enter radar range — up to 35 kilometers from either Port Said or Suez — and allows continuous monitoring of vessel movements, including recording and retrieving transit images and timing data.
The Suez Canal was inaugurated in a grand ceremonial event on November 17, 1869, attended by around 6,000 guests. Leading the distinguished attendees was Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III of France, along with the Emperor of Austria, the King of Hungary, the Crown Prince of Prussia, the brother of the King of the Netherlands, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Emir Abdelkader of Algeria, Prince Tewfik (the heir to the Egyptian throne), renowned Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen, Prince Toussoun (son of the late Khedive Said Pasha), Nubar Pasha, and many others.
On that day, the vessel Aigle, carrying the top dignitaries, made the first ceremonial passage through the canal, followed by 77 other ships, including 50 warships. The celebration was marked by extravagant festivities and grand events, for which Khedive Ismail spent approximately £1.5 million.
On February 15, 1875, British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli purchased 176,602 shares from Khedive Ismail for £3,976,580. These shares represented 44% of the total company shares and entitled Egypt to 31% of the company’s total profits.
Later, on April 17, 1880, the Egyptian government ceded its right to receive 15% of the company’s profits to the French Crédit Foncier Bank in exchange for 22 million francs. This move placed the financial control of the Suez Canal Company firmly in the hands of France and Britain, with France owning 56% of the shares and Britain 44%.
Between May and September of 1882, following the ‘Urabi Revolt, British forces occupied Egypt and took control of the company’s facilities. During this period, ship traffic through the canal was temporarily halted.
On January 3, 1883, Lord Granville issued a statement to the major powers declaring that the British government intended to withdraw its troops from Egypt as soon as the country’s conditions allowed. He also proposed regulating the status of the Suez Canal through an agreement between the major powers.
Subsequently, on March 30, 1885, an international committee convened in Paris to draft a document ensuring freedom of navigation through the canal at all times and for all nations. However, the committee failed to reach an agreement on this document.
Eventually, an agreement was signed in Constantinople between France, Austria-Hungary, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. This agreement established a definitive system guaranteeing freedom of navigation through the Suez Canal.
In connection with Egypt's commitment to respecting the Constantinople Convention, on July 17, 1957, Egypt sent a formal notification to the International Court of Justice, affirming that it accepted the Court's compulsory jurisdiction under Article 36 of the ICJ Statute with regard to all disputes concerning navigation through the Suez Canal.
In his historic speech in Alexandria on July 26, 1956, President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the decision to nationalize the Suez Canal. Article One of the decree stated: "The Universal Company of the Maritime Suez Canal (a joint-stock Egyptian company) is hereby nationalized. All its assets, rights, and obligations are transferred to the state. All existing bodies and committees currently managing the company are to be dissolved.
Shareholders and founding partners shall be compensated for their shares and holdings at their market value based on the closing price on the Paris Stock Exchange prior to the implementation of this law. Compensation will be paid after the state has completed the takeover of all the company’s funds and properties."
The Suez Canal is managed by the Suez Canal Authority, which is an independent public body reporting directly to the Prime Minister. It is responsible for overseeing the affairs of the Suez Canal facility, managing, operating, maintaining, and improving it. The Authority exclusively holds the right to issue regulations related to navigation in the Suez Canal, as well as any other regulations necessary for the smooth operation of the facility, and is responsible for enforcing them.
Indeed, the Egyptian state fulfilled all its commitments. By January 1, 1963, it had paid the compensation it had pledged to the shareholders in exchange for their ownership of shares and founding stakes. These were compensated based on the closing price of the shares on the Paris Stock Exchange on the day prior to the nationalization. The total compensation amounted to £28,300,000 for 800,000 shares, all paid in hard currency, one full year before the due date.
Although the nationalization decision was a direct response to the positions of the major powers and the World Bank concerning the financing of the High Dam, in truth, the decision was declaratory rather than constitutive of Egyptian rights. It was closely tied to Egypt’s sovereignty over its national territory following the glorious July 23 Revolution.
Egypt addressed all the arguments that challenged or questioned the nationalization decision, particularly in the famous speech delivered by Egypt's Foreign Minister, Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi, before the United Nations General Assembly on October 8, 1956. It was a lengthy speech, and among the points he made was: Every independent state has the right to nationalize any entity subject to its sovereignty. The UN General Assembly had confirmed this right in its Resolution No. 12626 dated December 21, 1952, affirming that each state has the right to exploit its natural resources for the welfare of its people, in accordance with its sovereignty and the principles of the UN Charter. Egypt’s action in nationalizing the Canal Company was merely an implementation of that resolution.
He added: The Canal Company is an Egyptian company that was granted its concession by the Egyptian government for a period of 99 years. Article 16 of the agreement concluded between the Egyptian government and the Canal Company on February 22, 1866, states: "The Universal Company of the Maritime Suez Canal is a joint-stock Egyptian company subject to the laws and customs of the country." The British government itself acknowledged this fact and defended it before the Mixed Courts on April 12, 1939, in the case concerning payment in gold. Egypt also reaffirmed its right to sovereignty over its territory and its respect for the 1888 Convention, while expressing its willingness to negotiate to reach a peaceful resolution to the Suez Canal issue.
Following the nationalization decision, Egypt faced a fierce colonial assault, beginning with an attempt to strangle the Egyptian economy when foreign pilots and technicians working in the canal withdrew in an effort to disrupt navigation, hinder operations, and embarrass the Egyptian state by implying its citizens were incapable of managing the canal.
However, the spirit of resilience that Egyptians have always shown in the darkest of times helped overcome the crisis. Egyptian pilots, with the support of some pilots from friendly nations, managed to resume regular navigation just two days after the foreign pilots’ withdrawal. On September 16, thirty-six ships passed through the canal; on September 17, thirty-five ships; on September 18, thirty-two ships; and on September 19, thirty-four ships.
At that time, specifically on Tuesday, September 18, 1956, the city of Ismailia welcomed fifty foreign correspondents. The Information Authority had organized a trip for them to the Canal Zone so they could witness firsthand the efficiency of the canal's navigation system. The next day, on September 19, 1956, the front-page headline of Al-Ahram newspaper reflected the reality on the ground: Foreign journalists express admiration for the navigation system in the canal… after witnessing ships passing through safely.
A considerable number of foreign newspapers and magazines wrote about the success of the Egyptian administration in organizing navigation through the canal. Among them was Time magazine, which published an article in its October 1, 1956 issue titled "Under the New Management." One of the most notable lines in the article stated:
"…Eight weeks after the nationalization of the canal and one week after the withdrawal of two-thirds of its pilots, it seems Nasser has delivered on what he proudly claimed. Since nationalization, 2,432 ships have passed safely, including 301 after the mass withdrawal of foreign pilots."
Events continued to unfold, culminating in the Tripartite Aggression against Egypt, which lasted from October 31 to December 22, 1956.
Although the aggression led to the temporary closure of the Suez Canal, the banks of the canal—and Egypt as a whole—fought a glorious battle at that time. This battle was crowned not only with the victory of December 23, 1956, but also with what historians call "The Glorious Battle of Suez," which buried colonialism and the colonial era. It undeniably inaugurated the age of liberation across the world and ignited a wave of independence throughout the entire Third World.
With the same spirit of defiance, navigation in the canal resumed on March 29, 1957, after the sunken ships had been salvaged and the waterway cleared.
Beginning on January 1, 1958, the Suez Canal Authority launched the first phase of the “Nasser Project” with the goal of increasing the canal's cross-sectional area from 1,250 square meters to 1,800 square meters, and increasing the permissible draft for transiting ships from 35 feet to 37 feet. That same year, 1958, witnessed the arrival of a fleet of dredgers, including the suction dredger 15 September and its sister ship 26 July.
The development process accelerated in 1961, which saw the completion of the first phase of the Nasser Project on April 30, 1961, followed by the second phase on September 1, 1961. In December of that year, the foundation stone was laid for the Suez Canal Authority’s Marine Arsenal.
On March 13, 1962, the largest oil tanker in the world at the time—and one of the largest ships ever to transit the canal since its opening—passed through. It was the American oil tanker Manhattan, with a maximum deadweight of 106,500 tons, a length of 286.7 meters, a width of 40.2 meters, and a maximum draft of 15.05 meters. Its height was equivalent to a ten-story building.
Among the large ships that have passed through the canal since nationalization are the following oil tankers:
• The British tanker British Admiral, with a maximum capacity of 11,274 tons, which transited on May 8, 1966.
• The British tanker British Argosy, with a maximum capacity of 112,786 tons, which transited on July 17, 1966.
• The Swedish tanker Sea Spirit, with a maximum capacity of 119,400 tons, which transited on July 27, 1966.
• The Swedish tanker Sea Spray, with a maximum capacity of 116,250 tons, which transited on November 26, 1966.
On October 8, 1962, the Suez Canal Authority celebrated the passage of the “hundred thousandth” ship since President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal on July 26, 1956. This “hundred thousandth” ship was the Norwegian oil tanker Berg Hess, built in Stavanger, Norway in 1955. It measures 194 meters in length, 26 meters in width, 14 meters in depth, with a total capacity of 20,990 tons.
On April 14, 1964, a new dredger named Khufu joined the Canal Authority’s fleet. Built in Scotland for the authority, it is similar to its sister dredgers 26 July, 15 September, and Thutmose, and belongs to the suction and discharge dredger class. However, it is larger and more powerful than them, with engines producing 8,500 horsepower. It can break up rocks to a depth of 21 meters and suction and discharge them up to 3.5 kilometers away. The dredger cost 1.5 million Egyptian pounds.
On October 27, 1966, the Norwegian oil tanker Bergshavn transited the canal. It has a maximum capacity of 153,511 tons, a length of 278.9 meters, and a width of 44.2 meters. It is the largest ship to have passed through the canal since its opening. The authority allowed its passage after conducting several experiments with a scale model of the ship in the canal basin at the research laboratory in Ismailia. Similar tests were also conducted on the tanker during its transit, and the results of the studies and laboratory experiments matched the actual outcomes.
Navigation through the canal stopped due to the Israeli aggression on June 5, 1967, and the situation remained so until President Anwar Sadat announced in his historic speech to the People’s Assembly on March 29, 1975, the reopening of the Suez Canal. He said:
“… I do not want the peoples of the world who care about the canal as a passage for their trade to imagine that the Egyptian people want to punish it for a sin it did not commit. They all supported us, and we want our canal as much as they want it—a path to our prosperity. We will open the Suez Canal, and we are capable of protecting it, just as we have the ability to protect the canal cities which we have built and continue to develop. The era has passed when distances were a barrier to aggression.”
On June 5, 1975, the canal was reopened to international navigation. Sadat, in a historic speech, declared:
“To the son of this good land who carved the canal with his sweat and tears, a link between continents and civilizations, and through it, the souls of his righteous martyrs passed to spread peace and security on its banks, it is now reopened for navigation once again, a source of peace and an artery of prosperity and cooperation among people.”
President Anwar Sadat then boarded the destroyer October 6 to begin the first convoy through the Suez Canal, which started with two minesweepers, followed by the destroyer October 6, then the yacht Freedom, the command ship of the Sixth Fleet Little Rock, the two Egyptian ships Syria and Aida, two military launches, the tugboat Mard, and at the end of the convoy, three warships and the tugboat Ghazal. Upon arrival in Ismailia, the president proceeded to the pilot station building to unveil the commemorative plaque at its entrance.
On October 31, 1976, the giant Liberian oil tanker Assoskania, with a maximum capacity of 254,000 tons, a length of 348.5 meters, a width of 51.9 meters, and a draft of 65.6 feet, passed through the canal empty with a draft of 28 feet. It is considered the largest ship to have passed through the canal since its digging in 1869.
In 1979, the digging of the Timsah branch began (February 22), stretching from kilometer 76.6 to kilometer 81.7, a length of 5.1 kilometers. It was inaugurated in 1980, and together with other branches, it doubled the navigational channel over a distance of 68 kilometers out of the total length of 179 kilometers from Port Said to Port Tewfik in Suez.
On March 19, 1980, a ceremony was held to mark the connection of the Port Said branch to the Mediterranean Sea. This branch starts at kilometer 17 and meets the old canal route at Port Said’s entrance at kilometer 95, then extends to kilometer 195, making its total length 36.5 kilometers. This branch allows large ships and tankers to enter and exit the canal without obstructing the movement at Port Said port.
When the Suez Canal was opened for navigation on November 17, 1869, its length was 164 kilometers, its width at the water surface level was 52 meters, and its depth was 7.5 meters. The allowable ship draft for crossing did not exceed 22.5 feet, and navigation in the canal was only conducted during daylight hours. Navigation continued during the day in the Suez Canal for 18 consecutive years until the canal company introduced night navigation on March 1, 1887.
During the period between the initial opening of the canal and Egypt’s nationalization of it in 1956, the canal company implemented many improvement and development programs for the Suez Canal. Among the results of these projects were: increasing the canal depth to 13.5 meters, increasing the width at the bottom from 22 meters to 42 meters, increasing the water cross-section from 304 square meters to 1250 square meters, and increasing the allowed draft from 22.5 feet to 35 feet. The total cost of these improvements reached 20.5 million Egyptian pounds.
As shipbuilding progressed and ships grew larger in size and capacity, the need to develop the Suez Canal became apparent. This development was carried out by the International Suez Canal Company, increasing the allowable ship draft to 35 feet and the canal’s water cross-section to 1200 square meters before the canal was nationalized on July 26, 1956.
The canal continued to be developed, with the draft increased to 38 feet and the water cross-section to 1800 square meters, completing this phase in May 1962. Then, in June 1966, the canal administration announced an ambitious two-phase development plan to increase the draft to 48 feet and then to 58 feet respectively.
Development stopped due to the June 1967 war, and the canal was reopened to international navigation in June 1975 after clearing war debris and raising sunken ships from the 1967 and 1973 wars. The canal retained the same depth and water cross-section it had before the closure.
After that, the Egyptian administration continued development projects, allowing ships with a full load capacity of 210,000 tons to pass, increasing the draft to 62 feet and the water cross-section to 4800 square meters, and extending the canal length to 191.80 km by 2001. This project also redesigned the curved sections of the canal so that the radius of each curve reached at least 5000 meters. A new branch was also dug starting from kilometer 17 south of Port Said northward to the Mediterranean Sea east of Port Fouad, allowing loaded ships heading north to reach the sea without entering Port Said harbor.
The allowable draft for ships passing through the canal reached 66 feet in 2010, accommodating all container ships carrying approximately 17,000 containers, as well as all bulk carriers worldwide.
In 2015, the Egyptian government carried out an expansion of the canal, deepening the main waterway and creating a parallel canal 35 kilometers long, allowing an average of 49 ships to pass in both directions directly. This reduced the crossing time from 18 hours to 11 hours.
Given the canal’s strategic global importance, Egypt adopted a strategy to transform the canal from a commercial passage to a global logistics hub through the General Authority for the Development of the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Established in 2015 as a government authority, it manages and implements the Suez Canal Axis Project separately from the Suez Canal Authority, with full powers over all activities and projects within the project’s geographic framework without interference from the governorates where these projects are located.
In March 2021, the Suez Canal reaffirmed its role as the pulse of the entire world, not just Egypt, when the giant Panamanian container ship Ever Given, 400 meters long and 59 meters wide with a load capacity of 224,000 tons, was traveling through the southern convoy of the Suez Canal on its way from China to Rotterdam. However, while crossing the canal, specifically at kilometer 151, it encountered strong winds that caused it to run aground, stopping shipping traffic on the shortest maritime shipping route between Europe and Asia.
Immediately after the incident, a crisis management committee was formed, headed by the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, and rescue operations began through the authority’s movement management and eight tugboats, most notably the tugboat Birka 1 with a pulling force of 160 tons. The tugboats pushed from both sides of the ship, and ballast water was reduced to refloat the ship and resume navigation in the canal. Land excavators were used to remove the damage caused by the incident on the canal’s banks and walls, which were severely affected, in addition to removing rocks from the ship’s bow in preparation for refloating procedures.
The Suez Canal Authority announced the temporary suspension of navigation while continuing efforts to refloat the stranded ship in the Suez Canal. The suspension of navigation was caused by the authority moving 13 ships from Port Said as part of the north convoy, which was expected to resume its journey through the canal based on the anticipated completion of the refloating procedures of the stranded vessel. However, as the refloating operations continued, it was necessary to follow an alternative scenario of waiting in the Great Lakes area until navigation fully resumes after the ship is refloated.
The ship's owning company enlisted the help of a Dutch salvage company to assist with the refloating operation. This company, SMIT, is one of the largest global firms specialized in marine salvage. The Dutch company held a meeting with the Authority’s Crisis Management Committee to discuss ways to refloat the vessel and proposed scenarios, including the possibility of dredging around the ship using the Authority’s dredgers. During this period, the company provided technical consultations to the Authority regarding the refloating procedures, with operations carried out by the Suez Canal Authority’s marine units.
Dredging operations around the vessel began using two of the Authority’s dredgers: the "Mashhour" and the "10th of Ramadan." Additionally, efforts to facilitate refloating included removing the sand trapped at the bow of the ship using four land excavators. The refloating efforts also involved pulling and pushing the vessel with nine giant tugboats, led by the tugboats “Baraka 1” and “Ezzat Adel,” each with a pulling force of 160 tons.
Initially, the dredging aimed to remove sand around the ship’s bow in quantities ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 cubic meters, which were expelled through external discharge lines of the dredgers, to reach the appropriate draft for refloating, ranging between 12 to 16 meters.
Several countries, including the United States, offered to contribute to the refloating efforts as dredging continued.
Two days after the ship ran aground, tugging maneuvers to refloat the stranded vessel began using nine giant tugboats, including “Baraka 15” and “Ezzat Adel,” following the completion of dredging around the ship’s bow by the “Mashhour” dredger. These maneuvers require several assisting factors, most notably the wind direction and tidal currents, making it a technically complex operation with specific estimates, procedures, and multiple attempts according to tension positions and tests.
These efforts did not succeed, and the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority held a press conference to comment on the progress of the refloating efforts for the Panama-flagged container ship EVER GIVEN stranded in the canal. He pointed out that the total number of ships waiting in the holding areas so far reached 321 vessels, all receiving full logistical services. The Authority’s strategy for the refloating operation relied on three main stages: using tugboats for pulling, then dredging using the Authority’s dredgers, followed again by tugging maneuvers, and finally resorting to reducing the ship’s load, which is practically difficult and requires a long time.
The efforts to refloat the giant Panama-flagged container ship EVER GIVEN continued through daytime dredging work and tugging maneuvers scheduled to match tide conditions. On this day, dredging by the Authority’s “Mashhour” dredger reached 27,000 cubic meters of sand at a depth of 18 meters, taking into account soil collapses beneath the ship in the dredged areas. Simultaneously, tugging maneuvers were conducted by the Authority’s tugboats at times coordinated with the tides and wind direction.
The number of tugboats involved in the pulling maneuvers increased to 12 tugboats operating from three different directions. Tugboats “Baraka 1” and “Ezzat Adel” pulled the ship’s bow, six tugboats pushed the stern southwards, and four tugboats pulled the stern southwards.
Subsequently, two new tugboats, “Abdel Hamid Youssef” and “Mostafa Mahmoud,” joined the pulling maneuvers after completion of their construction and sea trials at the Port Said Naval Shipyard, each with a pulling force of 70 tons. These tugboats bring advanced capabilities that keep pace with the latest marine auxiliary vessel technology. Both new tugboats share similar technical specifications: a length of 35.87 meters, a width of 12.5 meters, a total draft of 5.75 meters, and a speed of 13 knots. They are equipped with highly efficient Voith-made thrusters from Germany and Daihatsu engines from Japan.
At dawn on the seventh day since the crisis began, tugging maneuvers to refloat the stranded Panama-flagged container ship EVER GIVEN were conducted by 10 giant tugboats working from four different directions. For the first time, the Dutch tugboat APL GUARD, with a pulling force of 285 tons, participated in the maneuvers. This tugboat arrived on Sunday evening as part of the SMIT Dutch company's team involved in the refloating efforts of the stranded container ship.
On the morning of the same day, the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority announced the successful refloating of the ship after it responded to the towing and pulling maneuvers. The ship’s course was significantly adjusted by 80%, and the stern moved away from the shore to a distance of 102 meters instead of 4 meters.
The maneuvers were resumed again as the water level rose to its highest point between 11:30 a.m., reaching 2 meters, allowing the full adjustment of the ship’s course to position it in the middle of the navigation channel.
The Chairman of the Canal Authority sent a reassuring message to the international maritime community, stating that navigation in the canal would resume as soon as the ship is fully refloated and directed to wait in the Great Bitter Lakes area for technical inspection.
He praised the heroic men of the Suez Canal Authority who carried out this great work, appreciating their efforts over the past period and their full dedication to their national duty, expressing full confidence that the operation would be completed 100%.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi commented on the matter in a Facebook post, saying: "Today, the Egyptians succeeded in ending the crisis of the grounded ship in the Suez Canal despite the immense technical complexity surrounding this operation from every side. By restoring things to their normal course with Egyptian hands, the whole world is reassured about the path of its goods and needs passing through this vital maritime artery. I extend my thanks to every sincere Egyptian who contributed technically and practically to resolving this crisis."
He added: "Today, Egyptians proved once again that they are always up to the responsibility. The canal, which was dug by the bodies of their ancestors and defended by the lives of their fathers, will remain a witness that the Egyptian will shall proceed wherever Egyptians decide. Peace be upon you, my country."
The giant container ship EVER ART, the newest and largest container ship in the world, passed through the New Suez Canal on its maiden voyage as part of the southern convoy, coming from Malaysia and heading to the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands on June 30, 2022.
Sources:
• Suez Canal Authority website
• General Information Authority website
• George Halim Kerolos, The Suez Canal and Global Maritime Routes (Cairo: Dar Al Fikr Al Arabi, 1964), pp. 64 and following
• Review of the first concession decree text from this book
• Muhammad Al-Shafie, Muhammad Yusuf, Suez Canal: An Epic of a People, History of a Nation (Cairo: General Authority for Cultural Palaces, 2006), pp. 85-93
• Fathi Rizk, The Suez Canal: Location and History (Cairo: Dar Al-Nasr for Islamic Printing, 1983), pp. 138 and following
• Mahmoud Younis, Suez Canal: Its Past, Present, and Future (Cairo: Dar Abu Al-Majd for Printing, 2006), pp. 275 and following
• Dr. Gamal Hamdan, The Suez Canal: The Pulse of Egypt (Cairo: Alam Al-Kutub for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, 1975), pp. 26-27
• Contemporary Egypt Memory Archive
