Cairo: SiltaNews – News Desk
Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), inspected the construction of various marine units at the Suez Canal Company for Modern Boats in Safaga, a joint venture between the SCA and the South Red Sea Shipyard Company.
The visit follows President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to localize maritime industries and strengthen partnerships with the private sector. It aimed to review the progress of 10 “Azm” class tugboats, each with a bollard pull of 90 tons, and 12 deep-sea fishing vessels.
The tour began with an inspection of the “Azm” class tugboats, where eight are currently under construction following the delivery of Azm 1 and Azm 2. Azm 3 and Azm 4 are scheduled for delivery by the end of this month after trials. Hulls for Azm 5 – 8 are fully completed, while work on Azm 9 and Azm 10 continues.
The Chairman also reviewed the construction of 12 deep-sea fishing vessels modeled after the Rizk 1, with the first two vessels expected to launch at the end of December. He then inspected the interior finishing of the company’s new tourist yacht, the first product of its yacht factory, as well as two tourist launches and a river bus designed for maritime and river tourism.
Admiral Rabie emphasized the SCA’s goal to achieve an unprecedented leap in localizing the maritime industry. This aligns with the leadership’s directives to meet domestic operational needs in the Canal and Egyptian ports, while also promoting international exports under the “Made in Egypt” initiative.
Rabie noted that marine vessel construction at the Authority’s shipyards will increase in the coming period, in collaboration with the Suez Canal Company for Modern Boats.
