Suez Canal sees first mega boxship transit in sign of easing tension (Video) | Container news

Two vessels from CMA CGM, the giant container shipping line, have travelled through the Suez Canal, the canal’s authority said on Tuesday, in a sign the disruptions linked to the Gaza war could be easing.

The container ship Maersk Sebarok also transited through the Canal as part of the northbound convoy after transiting through Bab el-Mandab strait.

The Canal witnessed for the first time in two years the transit on Tuesday of the mega container ship CMA CGM Jacques Saade, one of the world’s largest container ships, as part of the southbound convoy, Suez Canal authority said, while the container ship CMA CGM Adonis, carrying 154,000 tons of cargo, transited as part of the northbound convoy.

The mega container ship CMA CGM Jacques Saade, operating on liquefied natural gas, led the southbound convoy, on its voyage from Morocco to Malaysia.

This mega vessel, affiliated to the French Group CMA CGM, is one of the largest container ships in the world and the largest container ship to transit through the Canal in two years. The vessel is 400 meters in length, with a beam of 62 meters, and a net tonnage of 231,000 tons. It can carry up to 23,000 TEUs.

At the same time, the Suez Canal also witnessed the transit of the container ship Maersk Sebarok as part of the northbound convoy, according to canal’s statement. The vessel transited through Bab el-Mandab strait on its voyage from port of Salalah in Oman, bound for the United States.

This marks the first time a container ship affiliated to Maersk Group has transited the Canal since the signing of the strategic partnership agreement between the two parties.

The vessel is 318 meters in length, with a beam of 40 meters, a draft of 14 meters, and a gross tonnage of 82,000 tons.

In this regard, Admiral Ossama Rabiee, chairman of the Suez Canal authority, stressed that the return of major shipping lines is the culmination of the authority’s intensive marketing efforts over the past period.

Rabiee urged other shipping lines to adjust their schedules and resume their voyages from the Red Sea region and Bab el-Mandab strait through the Suez Canal.

He also stressed that the next year will witness a gradual improvement in Canal traffic rates, reaching normal rates in the second half of the year.

Video | The Suez Canal witnesses the transit of the mega container ship CMA CGM JACQUES SAADE, one of the largest container ships in the world, signaling the full capacity return of the French Group's vessels. pic.twitter.com/zkIywiFlCz

— هيئة قناة السويس Suez Canal Authority (@SuezAuthorityEG) December 23, 2025

شاهد | عبور سفينة الحاويات MAERSK SEBAROK لقناة السويس ضمن قافلة الجنوب بعد عبورها من باب المندب

The container ship MAERSK SEBAROK also transited through the Suez Canal as part of the northbound convoy after transiting through Bab el-Mandab strait. pic.twitter.com/Ru1nVfeqLj

— هيئة قناة السويس Suez Canal Authority (@SuezAuthorityEG) December 23, 2025