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Ukraine war drives more traffic to Egypt's Suez Canal, increasing revenues

Although Egypt is being adversely affected by the war in Ukraine, the Suez Canal is benefiting greatly from Western countries sailing into the Gulf in search of oil.
This picture taken on Nov. 17, 2019, shows the Liberia-flagged container ship RDO Concord sailing through Egypt's Suez Canal.

CAIRO — While the war in Ukraine is adversely affecting Egypt, it is a different story for the Suez Canal. It earned the most revenue in its history due to the influx of Western ships passing through it in search of oil and its derivatives.

The Suez Canal made its highest monthly revenue ever in April with $629 million. The canal's navigation had seen the transit of 1,929 ships that month, compared to 1,814 ships in April 2021 — a difference of 115 ships and a 6.3% increase. Also, 114.5 million net tons were carried throughout the canal — the largest monthly tonnage in the canal’s history, as the waterway authority stated May 1.

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