Egypt's Suez Canal Authority said Sunday the global shipping lane has returned to growth, generating $449 million in revenues since the start of 2026, up from $368 million over the same period in 2025.
The announcement was made by Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie during the opening of the 15th edition of the International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (MARLOG), according to an authority statement.
The conference is organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport under the patronage of the Arab League and in cooperation with Egypt's Ministry of Transport and runs from Feb. 8 to Feb. 10.
"The Suez Canal has demonstrated in recent years its ability to withstand economic and geopolitical challenges," Rabie said.
He added that the Red Sea crisis, referring to attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on vessels it said were heading to Israel, underscored the "canal's resilience," noting that 2024 was "a year of severe impact and stress."
The final quarter of 2025 marked the beginning of a relative recovery following the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit, which helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza and restore calm and stability to the region, he added.
Rabie noted that navigation statistics for the canal during the first half of fiscal year 2025-2026 showed a relative improvement, with a 5.8% increase in the number of transiting vessels and a 16% rise in net tonnage. The gains translated into an 18.5% increase in revenues compared with the same period of fiscal year 2024-2025, he said.
Since the start of 2026, a total of 1,315 vessels have transited the canal with a net tonnage of 56 million tons, generating revenues of $449 million, Rabie added. That compares with 1,243 vessels and 47 million tons over the same period in 2025, when revenues totaled $368 million.
On Jan. 21, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt lost about $9 billion in Suez Canal revenues over two years due to the war in Gaza.
In response to the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, Yemen's Houthi group attacked commercial vessels it said were linked to or bound for Israel, particularly in the Red Sea, prompting major shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the waterway.
