Sky News Arabia published an article containing comments from an insurance body regarding Egypt's recent decisions related to compensation claims and the detention of the ship "Ever Given," which ran aground in the Suez Canal. The article states that the UK Protection and Indemnity Club commented on the Egyptian authorities' decision to detain the container ship "Ever Given" due to the operating company’s delay in paying for the damages and compensation resulting from the ship's grounding in the canal last month.
The UK Club provides insurance for the giant Panamanian-flagged ship, which ran aground on March 23 while sailing north from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, causing it to tilt and block the canal. The club stated in its response to Sky News Arabia that the ship's owners received a demand for $916 million on April 7 from the Suez Canal Authority as compensation for the grounding incident.
Club officials noted that an official statement was issued today regarding Egypt’s decision to detain the ship, and a copy was obtained by Sky News Arabia. The statement expressed that "the ship's owners and the insurance companies negotiated in good faith with the Suez Canal Authority despite the enormity of the requested compensation."
The club stated that a "generous offer" was submitted to the Suez Canal Authority to meet its demands. However, it expressed disappointment with the subsequent decision to detain the ship today, as well as disappointment regarding official statements indicating that the ship would remain detained in Egypt until compensation was paid, preventing the crew from departing during this time.
Earlier, the Suez Canal Authority decided to seize the giant container ship "Ever Given" in the Great Bitter Lake area in Ismailia until investigations into its grounding incident were completed and the due compensation was paid. The UK Club mentioned that "the Suez Canal Authority did not provide a detailed justification for the large compensation amount requested, which included a claim of $300 million for successfully salvaging the ship and an equal amount for damage to the canal's reputation."
The statement clarified that the grounding incident did not result in any environmental pollution, and no injuries were reported. The UK Club noted that the Suez Canal Authority's claims did not include dues for the foreign salvage companies that were used, and the owners and insurance contractors expect to receive those amounts separately.
The statement emphasized that the ship’s owners cooperated fully with the Suez Canal authorities during the investigations into the incident. Regarding the cause of the incident, the UK Club stated that the Panamanian-flagged ship was operating at full capacity without any defects in its machinery or equipment and was completely managed by a skilled captain and crew. Furthermore, it navigated in the Suez Canal under the supervision of Canal Authority pilots according to the applicable rules.
The UK Protection and Indemnity Club confirmed that it is working with all involved parties, emphasizing that its priorities include reaching a fair and swift resolution to the Suez Canal Authority's claims to ensure the release of the ship and its cargo, particularly its 25-member crew who remain on board.
Previously, Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie stated that there are still some negotiation points with the ship's owning company and its insurance company concerning the amount of compensation. He explained that the insurer requested "excessive" reductions in the compensation amount, indicating that assessments of all losses and damages that occurred during the crisis were made to claim them, noting that the company sought to reduce nearly 90% of the due compensation amount.
Rabie mentioned that the black box of the grounded ship had been fully analyzed weeks ago to uncover the complete details of the incident's causes, with investigations expected to conclude on Thursday.
