Egypt and Japan signed an executive agreement providing a EGP 1bn ($22m) grant to build and supply a first-of-its-kind diving support vessel for the Suez Canal. The grant, from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, aims to boost maritime safety and emergency response. The ceremony was attended by Minister Rania Al-Mashat and Suez Canal Authority Chairperson Admiral Osama Rabie.
The executive agreement was signed on Sunday, attended by Al-Mashat and Rabie, by Ahmed El-Barbary, Director of the SCA Shipyards Department, and Yamamoto Atsushi, Senior Representative of JICA's Egypt Office, in the presence of Yusuke Suzuki, Economic Minister at the Japanese Embassy.
The vessel will handle tasks such as towing, assisting in ship manoeuvring, and responding to maritime emergencies. Al-Mashat described the agreement as a qualitative partnership reflecting deep-rooted ties between the two nations, in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to leverage Japanese developmental and technological expertise.
The Suez Canal manages about 12% of global trade and forms a key part of Egypt's gross domestic product. Navigation traffic fell sharply since October 2023 amid regional tensions, but recorded a record 8.6% growth in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, following a peace agreement sponsored by al-Sisi and a gradual return to stability in the Red Sea.
Rabie called the DSV an unprecedented addition to the SCA fleet, which will significantly aid marine rescue teams in diving, search, and recovery operations. He added that the canal's rescue capacity will be further strengthened next year with two rescue tugs boasting a 190-tonne bollard pull.
Suzuki stated the project is mutually beneficial and adds a new chapter to the strategic partnership. Atsushi noted that the JICA-SCA partnership has lasted nearly 70 years, and the new vessel will reinforce the canal's role as a global maritime corridor.
The 45-metre vessel, weighing 620 tonnes, features a dual-fuel engine (diesel and natural gas) to cut carbon emissions, with a 10-metre beam, 4.5-metre draught, and 12-knot speed, accommodating 29 people. It includes two decompression chambers for diving support and a waste treatment unit, to be built entirely in Japan to SOLAS standards under the supervision of the Japanese classification society NK. The agreement follows an exchange of letters in August between Al-Mashat and the Japanese Ambassador.
