The head of the Suez Canal Authority, Vice Admiral Osama Rabie, announced that the giant container ship CMA CGM SEINE, one of the world’s largest container ships, has passed through the Suez Canal during its first voyage through the canal as part of a northern convoy heading from Morocco to Malaysia.
The Suez Canal Authority said in a statement that the ship belongs to French shipping company CMA CGM and operates within the Fal3 shipping service, which operates trade routes between Europe and the Far East. It is the group’s newest ship and was completed in 2025. It has a length of 399 meters, a width of 61.3 meters, a draft of 40 feet, a gross tonnage of 250,000 tons, and can carry up to 23,876 containers.
The authority’s chairman appointed a group of senior authority guides and directed them to take all necessary measures and procedures to ensure a safe crossing by providing navigational assistance from accompanying tugboats, as well as real-time follow-up from major traffic offices and guidance stations along the canal.
In accordance with the protocols followed by the Suez Canal Authority in dealing with ships crossing the canal for the first time, the Authority’s Chairman, Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, delegated the first Chief Guide, Captain Abdel Rahman Fuad Shaheen, and the first Chief Guide, Captain Saeed Imam, to come on board, welcome the crew and hand over a souvenir to the captain.
Vice Admiral Rabie confirmed that the return of the world’s largest and most advanced container ships to transit through the Suez Canal reflects confidence in the canal’s readiness and status as the best and sustainable route for global trade movement between East and West.
He explained that these serious measures will have a significant impact on bringing about positive changes in the shipping market, and urged other shipping companies to adjust their sailing schedules and resume operations from the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab region via the Suez Canal.
He pointed out that the Suez Canal has worked during the past period to improve the level of maritime and navigational services provided, to develop new services to meet customer requirements and ensure the highest standards of maritime safety for mega-ships and maritime units of special dimensions.
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority highlighted that the French group CMA CGM has benefited from the flexible pricing policy promoted by the Authority and has witnessed an increase in the transit rate of container ships with a net tonnage of more than 130,000 tonnes to 15 vessels since December last year, out of a total of 38 vessels that have passed through the canal since May last year.
The head of the Suez Canal Authority, Vice Admiral Osama Rabie, announced that the giant container ship CMA CGM SEINE, one of the world’s largest container ships, has passed through the Suez Canal during its maiden voyage through the canal as part of a northern convoy bound from Morocco to Malaysia.
According to a statement released by the Suez Canal Authority, the ship is operating under the Fal3 maritime service, which follows French shipping company CMA CGM and facilitates trade between Europe and the Far East. The ship is the group’s newest vessel, completed in 2025, with an overall length of 399 meters, a width of 61.3 meters, a draft of 40 feet, a total carrying capacity of 250,000 tons, and the capacity to carry up to 23,876 containers.
The Chairperson directed the authorities to take all necessary measures and procedures to ensure safe navigation by appointing a group of senior pilots from the authorities and providing navigational support from accompanying tugs, in addition to real-time monitoring from main traffic offices and pilotage stations located along the canal.
According to the protocol followed by the Suez Canal Authority when dealing with ships crossing the canal for the first time, Vice Admiral Osama Rabie tasked the senior pilot, Captain Abdel Rahman Fuad Shaheen, and the senior pilot, Captain Saeed Imam, to come on board, welcome the crew and present the captain with a souvenir.
Vice Admiral Rabie confirmed that the return of the world’s largest and newest container ships to transit through the Suez Canal reflects confidence in the canal’s readiness and status as the best and most sustainable route for global trade between East and West.
He explained that these serious measures will have a significant impact on bringing positive changes to the shipping market and encouraging other shipping companies to adjust their sailing schedules and resume sailings from the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb through the Suez Canal.
He pointed out that in recent years, the Suez Canal has been working to improve the level of maritime and navigational services provided and introduce new services to meet customer requirements and ensure the highest standards of maritime safety for mega-ships of special dimensions and marine forces.
The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority emphasized that the French group CMA CGM has benefited from the flexible pricing policy adopted by the authority, and the transit rate of container ships with a net tonnage of more than 130,000 tons has increased since December last year, reaching 15 out of a total of 38 vessels that have passed through the canal since May last year.
