The Suez Canal will be temporarily closed until a 200,000-tonne container ship jammed across the international trade route is refloated, the chairman of the waterway’s state-owned management company said on Thursday.
The Panama-registered Ever Given ran aground in a sandstorm and high winds on Tuesday just north of the city of Suez, choking traffic in both directions along the Suez Canal and creating the world's largest shipping jam.
As the operation was supended for a few hours late on Friday, it emerged that two more tugs are expected to arrive on Sunday to help refloat the Ever Given.
Suez Canal chairman Admiral Osama Rabie had said on Thursday morning that, "God willing, we'll be done today" but that early optimism cooled as the day progressed.
"We can't exclude it might take weeks, depending on the situation," Peter Berdowski, chief executive of Dutch company Boskalis, which is trying to free the ship, told the Dutch television programme Nieuwsuur.
On Friday, the ship's operator, Evergreen, said the owner of the vessel would be liable for the cost of rescue and repair.
"As the vessel is chartered, the responsibility for the expense incurred in the recovery operation; third party liability and the cost of repair (if any) is the owners," it said.
Adm Rabie's decision to close the waterway appeared directed at vessels still heading towards the canal rather than those waiting, suggesting they find alternative routes, dock in open sea or at nearby ports until the Ever Given is refloated.
A video released online by the Suez Canal Authority on Thursday showed a team from Smit Salvage, a Boskalis subsidiary, meeting with canal engineers to discuss the refloating of the Ever Green.
Lloyd’s List insurers estimated that the closuring of the canal is costing about $400 million an hour, with westbound traffic worth about $5.1 billion a day and eastbound traffic carrying around $4.5bn a day.
Underlining the serious implications for global trade, the Japanese owner of the cargo ship apologised on Thursday for the incident.
“We are extremely sorry for causing tremendous worry to the ships that are travelling or scheduled to travel in the Suez Canal, and all the related people,” Shoei Kisen said.
It said it is co-operating with its technical management company and the local authorities to get the ship afloat, but “the operation is extremely difficult.”
Where is the 'Ever Given' – track live
On Wednesday, shipping firm GAC reported the vessel had been partially refloated and moved to the side of the canal allowing traffic to resume.
But Lloyd's List, the authoritative source of news and analysis on shipping, said the 2018-built Ever Given had not in fact been partially refloated, citing the vessel's technical managers BSM.
The vessel remained firmly grounded, it said.
It said Lloyd's List Intelligence AIS tracking also confirmed that Ever Given has not moved since it ran aground on Tuesday, turned sideways and caused a queue of more than 200 ships.
Ship-tracking software showed that Ever Given has made only minor changes to its position over the past 24 hours, despite the attempts by nine tugs to haul it to deeper water.
GAC issued a note to clients overnight saying efforts to free the vessel using tug boats continued, but that wind conditions and the sheer size of the vessel "were hindering the operation".
"It is like an enormous beached whale. It's an enormous weight on the sand," said Mr Berdowski. "We might have to work with a combination of reducing the weight by removing containers, oil and water from the ship, tug boats and dredging of sand."
A Suez Canal analyst based in the city of Port Said at the northern entrance of the waterway said that if the tugs fail to dislodge the vessels, authorities will be likely to relieve the vessel of some of its thousands of containers to give tugs a chance to refloat it.
Work to free the ship paused on Wednesday night and resumed on Thursday.
The Suez Canal Authority has given few updates since Tuesday morning, when the Ever Given ran aground.
Beside brief press releases, it released video clips of Adm Rabie monitoring efforts to refloat the Ever Given with dramatic background music. It has also released images of the vessel. It announced the incident nearly 24 hours after the Ever Given ran aground.
Local media, mostly controlled by the state, has given little prominence to the crisis affecting one of Egypt's top foreign currency earners. Authorities have, meanwhile, placed severe restrictions on access to the site of the Ever Given by independent media. Most of the length of the canal is a military area.
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the company that manages the Ever Given, said the ship's 25-member crew are safe and accounted for.
The ship had two pilots from Egypt's canal authority aboard the vessel to guide it when the grounding happened, the company said.
At least 206 large container ships, tankers carrying oil and gas and bulk vessels hauling grain are now waiting near Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, Port Suez on the Red Sea or are already stuck in the canal system on Egypt’s Great Bitter Lake, canal service provider Leith Agencies said.
"We've never seen anything like this before," said Ranjith Raja, head of Mena oil and shipping research at market research company firm Refinitiv.
He said the backlog could take “several days to weeks to clear as it is expected to have a ripple effect on the other convoys, schedules and global markets – given the vital importance of the waterway”.
Mr Raja said that 27 tankers in the queue were carrying an estimated 1.9 million tonnes of oil cargo "equivalent to almost half of the UK’s monthly crude intake".
Almost a million barrels of oil travel the canal a day, making it vital for European energy supplies.
Cargo ships behind the Ever Given in the canal will be reversed south, back to Port Suez, to free the channel, Leith Agencies said. Authorities hope to do the same to Ever Given when it is freed.
About 30 per cent of the world's shipping container volume travels through the 193-kilometre Suez Canal every day, and about 12 per cent of total global trade of all goods.
Analysts said that if the blockage is not cleared within the next 24 to 48 hours, some shipping companies may be forced to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa, which would add about a week to the journey.
"Every port in Western Europe is going to feel this," Leon Willems, a spokesman for Rotterdam Port, Europe's largest, said.
"We hope for both companies and consumers that it will be resolved soon. When these ships do arrive in Europe, there will inevitably be longer waiting times."
Tuesday was the second major crash involving Ever Given in recent years.
In 2019, the cargo ship ran into a small ferry moored on the Elbe River in the German port city of Hamburg. Authorities at the time blamed strong wind for the collision, which severely damaged the ferry.
WORLD'S%2010%20HIGHEST%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E1.%09Everest%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%09K2%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%09Kangchenjunga%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%09Lhotse%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%09Makalu%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%09Cho%20Oyu%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%09Dhaulagiri%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%09Manaslu%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%09Nanga%20Parbat%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%09Annapurna%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.
2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.
3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.
4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.
5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
