Qatari ships banned in Egypt but not in Suez Canal transit

The Suez Canal Authority is committed to ban entry of all Qatari vessels in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as part of maintaining national security, according to an official statement by chairman Mohab Mamish.

The decision follows the recent diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Egypt, that led to cutting diplomatic ties, and it should be implemented to all ports inside the economic zone, as this belongs to Egyptian territorial water.

However, the international law, as defined in Constantinople 1869 agreement, sees as illegal the ban of ships -coming from any country- from passing through the main canal, Mr Mamish noted. In addition to this, he explained that the Qatari ships passing through the Suez Canal cannot be banned, as they are loaded with gas.

Further, he underlined that the ban would not influence the revenues of the canal, due to the already low number of Qatari ships that dock in the ports.