Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has launched the first two 50-metre high-seas fishing vessels in a 12-ship domestic construction programme. The vessels — named REZK 2 and REZK 3 — were launched on 4 May 2026 at South Red Sea Shipyard in Safaga, on Egypt's Red Sea coast, in the presence of SCA chairman and managing director Adm Ossama Rabiee, South Red Sea Shipyard chairman Mostafa El-Dougishy and company executives.
According to the SCA, the REZK class represents Egypt's first domestic build of fishing vessels designed for high-seas and international waters operations. The ships are being built for the authority under the supervision of Italian classification society RINA and are the first fishing vessels produced under the "Misr Factory" brand. Each vessel measures 50 metres in length, 10.5 metres beam and 4.2 metres draft, with a maximum speed of 12 knots. On the power side, each ship is fitted with two 450-kW main generators, a 100-kW emergency generator, and a 450-kW mechanical generator capable of supplying electricity and powering the propulsion system if the main generators fail.
The operational outfit includes fishing lines extending more than 150,000 metres and large fish-hold chambers for freezing and preserving the catch. Rabiee said the REZK class is "the first of its kind in Egypt" and "an unprecedented leap in the industry of fishing vessel building," adding that the project gives Egypt experience in more complex maritime units and could generate foreign-currency revenue from fishing operations and from marketing Egyptian industrial capability. El-Dougishy said South Red Sea Shipyard has been building four high-seas fishing vessels in parallel, with sea trials for REZK 2 and REZK 3 expected within the next two months. RINA Egypt office manager Eng Shady El-Matbouly said the classification society supervised the project from design approval and stability calculations through equipment certification and construction supervision.
From a supply chain perspective the programme is notable on three fronts: (1) SCA's operational portfolio is being broadened beyond traditional transit revenue toward high-seas fishing and shipbuilding services, providing revenue diversification against canal-traffic volatility; (2) domestic production under the Misr Factory brand positions Egypt as a mid-tier shipbuilding supplier competing with India, Vietnam and Türkiye; (3) RINA supervision improves the vessels' acceptability in European and other tier-1 insurer markets, preserving secondary-market value for operators considering flag changes. For Türkiye's Tuzla, Yalova and Karadeniz Eregli yards, Egypt's entry into the mid-to-large fishing-vessel segment may bring direct competitive pressure across the Mediterranean basin in the medium term.
Key Takeaways:
1. REZK 2 and REZK 3 launched on May 4, 2026 at South Red Sea Shipyard in Safaga — first two of a 12-ship Egyptian domestic build.
2. Each vessel is 50 m length, 10.5 m beam, 4.2 m draft, 12-knot max speed; equipped with two 450-kW mains plus a 100-kW emergency and a 450-kW mechanical generator.
3. Fishing lines exceed 150,000 metres with freezer fish-holds, supporting Egypt's first domestic high-seas fishing fleet.
4. Built for the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) under Italian classification society RINA supervision and produced under the Misr Factory brand.
5. Sea trials are due within two months — a competitive signal for Turkish, Indian and Vietnamese yards in the mid-tier shipbuilding segment.
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