Suez Canal to Bab-el-Mandeb links Asia, India and the Arabian Gulf to Europe and the East Coast of North America.

Important cargoes that pass through the Canal – Containers, oil, oil products; grain; minerals

• Times when the Canal was in the news – Although the Canal was not closed during World War 2, it was not used as much during the time that the Mediterranean Sea was a war zone as ships were likely to be attacked as they passed through. As the German invasionary force withdrew from North Africa and Greece, the Mediterranean Sea became less involved in the war, and more ships began to use the canal. The Canal was closed from October 1956 to March 1957 and from June 1967 to May 1995 due to hostilities in the area around the Canal. For a while on each occasion, the canal was physically blocked as bridges were bombed and ships were sunk in the Canal. During times when the Canal was closed, thousands of ships were diverted to the Cape Route, making the route via Cape Agulhas extremely important.
• Important Note : In September 2015, a second canal – parallel to the original canal – was opened. This means that shipping traffic can pass through the Canal in opposite directions, reducing transit times from about 23 hours to 11 hours. Interestingly, the second canal with a length of over 80 kilometres was built in one year!

The foredeck of the gas tanker Al Mourrona as she passes through the Suez Canal. Photograph : Captain Steve Tucker

This containership has just entered the Suez Canal from the south.  Photograph : Captain Charles Kingon

Passing through the Suez Canal, heading northwards towards Port Said. Photograph : Captain Charles Kingon

In the Suez Canal. Note the containership ahead. Photograph : Captain Charles Kingon