Home » IMO chief to visit Egypt amid Red Sea Houthi attack concerns

IMO chief to visit Egypt amid Red Sea Houthi attack concerns

The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, will visit Egypt next week to address escalating concerns over Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which have severely disrupted international maritime traffic.

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The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, will visit Egypt next week to address escalating concerns over Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which have severely disrupted international maritime traffic.

The attacks, primarily targeting U.S. and Israeli vessels, have caused a 70% drop in freight traffic through the Suez Canal, Egypt’s primary source of foreign currency. Vessels are now diverting to the longer Cape of Good Hope route, leading to a 70% increase in emissions, according to the IMO.

Dominguez will meet with Egyptian officials to discuss the economic and environmental impact of these disruptions. He will also address the plight of 25 seafarers aboard the car carrier *Galaxy Leader*, hijacked by the Houthis in November 2023. The IMO chief emphasized the urgency of resolving this issue, calling it a significant problem for the organization.

While in Egypt, Dominguez will inaugurate a new IMO office in Alexandria to bolster the organization’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa.

The visit comes as Egypt faces mounting economic challenges due to the Houthi attacks, which have slashed Suez Canal revenues by an estimated $7 billion in 2024. The loss has pushed Egypt to seek financial support from the International Monetary Fund. The attacks are also undermining Egypt’s long-term economic plans for the Suez Canal region, which is central to the country’s ambitions to become a global logistics and industrial hub.

The Houthi attacks, framed as solidarity with Gaza amid ongoing Israeli assaults, have complicated Egypt’s position. Despite calls for military action, Egypt has refrained from joining the U.S.-led coalition against the Houthis, opting instead for a diplomatic approach. Analysts suggest that Egypt’s reluctance to engage militarily stems from the potential political fallout of being seen as defending Israel.

“Egypt can foot an unwanted heavy political and military bill if it gets involved in attacks against the Houthis,” said Amani al-Taweel of the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. She added that a cessation of Israeli attacks on Gaza could lead to an end to Houthi aggression in the Red Sea.

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