Egypt's Suez Canal is pressing ahead with its ambitious development and modernisation programme despite challenges facing global shipping, its authority head Osama Rabie said on Wednesday. Speaking during a visit by a high-level military delegation, Rabie said the canal has proven its ability to navigate crises, from the 2015 opening of the New Suez Canal to successive upgrade projects, the latest being the Southern Sector Development expansion. The works aim to boost navigational safety, cut the impact of water and wind currents, and increase capacity by six to eight ships. The Suez Canal remains fully secure, with 16 pilot stations, navigation monitoring centres, and specialised maritime rescue and pollution control facilities, Rabie said. He added that the authority has stepped up service quality, introducing offerings such as maintenance, repair, crew changes, maritime ambulance and refueling, in a bid to attract more customers and diversify revenue streams. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
