Hani El-Nady, Maersk’s Middle East and North Africa representative, made the remarks in a meeting with Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Osama Rabie at the Authority’s Guidance Building in Ismailia.
Maersk vice president Camilla Jain Holtse, who leads global public policy and regulatory affairs, and representatives from several global offices were also attending.
Rabie described the meeting as a sign of the deep strategic ties between the SCA and Maersk, founded on shared interests and long-standing cooperation in global trade.
He said recent disruptions in the Red Sea had underlined the canal’s importance in maintaining global supply chains. Rerouted traffic raised costs and extended shipping times.
Rabie urged Maersk to consider resuming navigation through the canal, citing recent improvements in regional security. He also noted that the SCA had introduced temporary incentives — including a 15 percent discount for container ships over 130,000 tonnes — to encourage shipping lines to return.
The discount, he added, has been well received and is expected to boost confidence among other operators.
Holtse praised the Authority’s engagement with global shipping companies and described the discount as a “positive step.”
She also reiterated Maersk’s long-term partnership with the canal—a relationship that has lasted more than a century—and confirmed that the company is closely monitoring the evolving security situation.
The meeting followed President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives to closer coordinate the SCA and its clients, particularly during regional crises.
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