Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, received Mr. Kjeld Christensen, Chief Executive Officer of the Suez Canal Container Terminal - AP Møller Terminals, to discuss ways of cooperation in files of common interest at Irshad building in Ismailia.
The meeting is the first since Mr. Kjeld Christensen has assumed his new position as CEO of the Suez Canal Container Terminal - AP Møller Terminals.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Hany An-nady, Representative of A.P Møller Maersk Group in the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Mahmoud Ayoub, Chief Operating Officer of the Suez Canal Container Terminal - AP Møller Terminals, and Mr. Mohamed Khattab, Head of Public and Government Affairs of the company.
At the beginning of the visit, Adm. Ossama Rabiee stressed the Authority's keenness on enhancing cooperation and extended partnership with Maersk Group in a way that contributes to achieving common interests and serving the movement of global trade.
The Chairman of the Authority has lauded the serious steps taken by the Suez Canal Container Terminal company as part of its ambitious vision for the development and expansions of the container handling terminal at East Port Said Port, affiliated to the group, at all levels, from expansions in infrastructure works and adding cutting-edge equipment to the docks and the terminal, in addition to continuous training of human assets.
Adm. Rabiee stressed his keenness on providing all necessary means of support to complete the terminal expansion works, overcome all obstacles and joint coordination towards moving forward to raise the classification of the container handling terminal at East Port Said globally and benefit from the advantages of the distinguished geographical location and promising assets and human capabilities.
The Chairman of the Authority expressed his aspiration that the operational cooperation that brings together Maersk Group and the German HAPAG LIOYD Group will result in enhancing communication and coordination with the Suez Canal Authority during the upcoming period in light of the beginning of the return of stability to the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab region.
For his part, Mr. Kjeld Christensen, CEO of Suez Canal Container Terminals - AP Møller Terminals, stressed the importance of the bilateral cooperation and joint coordination to achieve the company's ambitious vision, considering the Suez Canal a major partner in Suez Canal Container Terminal.
The CEO of Suez Canal Container Terminal reviewed the latest developments in the expansion works of the AP Møller Terminals Group's container handling terminal at East Port Said Port with a length of 955 meters, noting in this regard the completion of the construction works of the terminal in parallel with the equipment works, as 8 giant quay cranes have already arrived as part of quay cranes and operating supplies, and 4 more quay cranes are expected to arrive during April 2025. The total number of quay cranes is to reach 30 quay cranes, and the handling capacity of the container handling terminal after the expansions will increase from 5 million TEUs to become 7 million TEUs.
The CEO of the Suez Canal Container Terminal Company added that the trial operation of the expansions at East Port Said Port is scheduled to commence during next April in preparation for the official opening and actual operations.
