I can't find the quote, but I recall one ship captain saying in the multiple decades he'd been transiting, he'd never had the Suez Canal pilots leave their crew quarters between start and finish.

Seems most boats that wish to transit have to come prepared with many bribes, and be ready for multiple shakedowns: http://www.sailsafely.com/suez_canal.htm

Clearly this is Egypt's authorities trying to save face and deflect blame for their failure to provide actual, competent piloting.

The captain in this video has also transited the Suez Canal many times and talks a bit about the corruption and bribes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICrgh5sJa-A

I don't know that we need to assign blame. It is possible this accident was unavoidable. It is not like this is a recurring occurrence.

It is possible, but not likely.

I dont hear this being a once-in-a-century sandstorm.

This may not be a recurring ocurrence precisely because weather-induced groundings on that zone are particularly strange, because its not an area with weather that can impair a bih ship cruising by

Yeah I guess that may well be the case. I was going based on the way things traditionally worked for a pilot taking a ship into harbour.