The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has reported growth in both revenue and the number of transiting ships during the first days of 2026, data suggesting a gradual recovery of the Egyptian interoceanic route after security issues affected the Red Sea corridor since 2023. The SCA's president, Osama Rabie, presented these figures during the inauguration of the 15th edition of the International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (Marlog).
According to official data, between February 1 and 8, 2026, a total of 1,315 ships crossed the canal, with an approximate net tonnage of 56 million tons and revenue of 449 million dollars. These figures contrast with the same period in 2025, when 1,243 ships transited with 47 million tons and revenue of 368 million dollars. The increase represents a 22% improvement in year-on-year revenue for that time frame.
In broader terms, navigation statistics for the first half of the 2025-2026 fiscal year show a 5.8% increase in the number of ships in transit, a 16% increase in net tonnage, and an 18.5% rise in revenue compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year. Additionally, during the last quarters of 2025, the SCA recorded sustained growth that translated into a 24.5% increase in revenue and 9% in ship traffic compared to the same period in 2024.
Rabie attributed the improvement to the gradual stabilization of the regional situation, particularly following the peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which contributed to a ceasefire in Gaza and the restoration of some calm in the area. Attacks by the Houthi group from Yemen against commercial ships in the Red Sea had forced numerous shipping companies to divert their routes, avoiding transit through Suez in favor of longer and more costly alternatives, such as the detour around the Cape of Good Hope.
The president of the SCA noted that 2024 was a year of significant impact and tension for the waterway, but the canal has demonstrated its capacity to withstand economic and geopolitical challenges. The last quarter of 2025 marked, according to Rabie, the beginning of a relative recovery that is consolidating in the early stages of 2026 with the gradual return of shipping lines to the traditional route.
The magnitude of the accumulated losses during the crisis period was quantified by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who on January 21 estimated the impact on Suez Canal revenue over two years at approximately 9 billion dollars as a result of the conflict in Gaza and instability in the Red Sea.
The recovery of transit through the Suez Canal has direct implications for global maritime trade, given that a considerable percentage of intercontinental goods traffic passes through this route, particularly trade flows between Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean. The gradual return of shipping companies, along with the incentives implemented by the canal authority, aims to consolidate Suez's position as a strategic corridor in global logistics.