Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for the strictest quality standards to be applied across projects linked to the Suez Canal, while urging faster development of his country’s shipbuilding industry and maritime infrastructure.
al-Sisi on Sunday reviewed progress on Suez Canal operations and shipbuilding projects during a meeting with Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority, and Mostafa El-Dougishy, chairman of South Red Sea Shipyard, according to a statement from the presidency.
The talks focused on the advancement of two fiberglass manufacturing plants being developed by the Suez Canal Modern Boats Company under a partnership between the Suez Canal Authority and South Red Sea Shipyard.
The president was also briefed on the construction of several fiberglass vessels, including three cruise boats intended for maritime and river tourism, whose hulls have already been completed.
The meeting further reviewed maritime traffic trends in the Suez Canal during the 2025–2026 fiscal year, as well as the timetable for the commissioning of new marine units. al-Sisi stressed the need to continue localising the shipbuilding industry to meet the requirements of the Suez Canal, Egyptian ports and inland waterway transport, while expanding exports to international markets in partnership with the private sector.
The Egyptian leader instructed the relevant authorities to adhere to “the highest quality standards,” respect project deadlines and comply with occupational safety and health requirements. He also underscored the importance of strengthening the training of technical personnel and maintaining high standards across all ongoing industrial and maritime projects.
Officials also presented updates on several construction programmes, including a series of 12 deep-sea fishing vessels of the “Rizq” class, a 60-seat river bus destined for the Cairo Governorate, and “Azm”-class tugboats equipped with a towing capacity of 90 tonnes.
al-Sisi reiterated that quality and safety must remain central to the delivery of these projects.
MK/AK/Sf/lb/as/APA