Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It runs between Port Said in the north and Suez in the south, cutting through the Isthmus of Suez and separating Africa from Asia. The canal is approximately 193 km long and allows ships to travel between Europe and Asia without navigating around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, reducing the journey by about 7 000 km. It is one of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes, with thousands of vessels transiting annually carrying oil, manufactured goods, grain and other cargo. The waterway has no locks, as the Mediterranean and Red Sea are at roughly the same water level, and can accommodate vessels with a draught of up to 20 m. Control of the canal is strategically and economically significant, as disruptions affect global trade flows and freight costs. The Suez Canal Authority, an Egyptian state-owned entity, operates and maintains the waterway and collects transit fees that represent a major source of revenue for Egypt. The canal opened to navigation in November 1869 after ten years of construction led by French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps. It was nationalised by Egypt in 1956, triggering the Suez Crisis, and has since been expanded several times, most recently in 2015 with the addition of a parallel channel to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.
Suez Canal Updates
The Iran war and global trade: will the Cape route become the new normal?
9th March 2026 Events in the Middle East during February and March 2026 again disrupted the flows of shipping trade to the eastern and western spheres of the... →
China's top diplomat tours Africa with focus on strategic trade routes
By: Reuters 7th January 2026 China’s top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Wednesday, focusing on strategic trade access across eastern and southern Africa... →
China's top diplomat heads to key strategic points in Africa
By: Reuters 7th January 2026 China's top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Wednesday, with a focus on the strategically important east, as the world's No.2... →
 |
 |
1 |
 |
 |
