Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates

• UAE – All ports operational
• Kuwait  
  • Shuwaikh operational,
  • Shuaiba Partially operational
• Saudi Ports – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational
• Hamad – Operational
• Bahrain – Non-Operational
• Oman
  • Sohar operational
  • Salalah Container Terminal Operational
  • Duqm Partly Operational
• Beirut – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational  
• Aqaba - Operational

• We see increasing Dwell times on impacted ports
• We expect increase of offloads/transshipments and are being monitored closely
• Various carrier have announced they will end journeys early, omit ports or return back
• We are monitoring the situation to handle diversions with customers

• MSC has stopped booking acceptance for Gulf on their Falcon service until further notice
• On 3^rd March MSC declared End of Voyage for all shipments located ashore or at Sea and destined for the Arabian Gulf. Shipments will be diverted to another port deemed safe subject to $800/Container mandatory charge and any other charges that may arise.
• CMA CGM stopped acceptance to reefer & DG bookings
• CMA CGM has stopped accepting any bookings to/from BH, KW, IQ, QA, KSA (except JED, KAP) and AE (except KLF & FUJ)
• CMA CGM has activated Clause 10 with regards to the diversion of cargo on Vsls CMA CGM Nevada and CMA CGM Don Pascuale, giving cargo owners 7 days to decide on the fate of their cargo
• ESL has mentioned business continuity
• RCL has suspended all new bookings to ME/Gulf until further notice
• Effective immediately Maersk has suspended all reefer, dangerous / special cargo acceptance in and out of UAE, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia until further notice
• Maersk has also suspended all new bookings between the India Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) and the Upper Gulf markets of UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail only), exceptions will be made for critical foodstuff, pharma and other essential goods
• Maersk has also suspended all DG cargo movement to/from Isreal, rest remains open
• Maersk / COSCO / ONE and YML have also stopped/suspended bookings to/from ME
• Main liners are still accepting bookings from Europe & Americas Eastbound to the Red Sea
• CMA service suspended passage through the Suez Canal now halted until further notice, vessels being rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope.
• Gemini and Maersk standalone services will not route via the canal as previously announced.
• SeaLead confirmed will continue to go via Bab Al Mandab from today
• All carriers have now officially halted/suspended any transit via Hormuz Strait due to security reasons and are not accepting any bookings to/from or via the Gulf Ports

• No information or declarations from Carriers

• Surcharges & Cost Implications: As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, carriers may introduce additional charges to compensate for increased operational and security‑related risks. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
• War Risk Surcharge: Given the heightened regional security environment, carriers and insurers may introduce or adjust war‑risk premiums. These may apply to cargo already in transit as well as to new and future bookings.
• Emergency Surcharge (ES): At least one major carrier has announced an Emergency Conflict Surcharge, and additional carriers may implement similar measures depending on how operational conditions develop.
• Bunker Adjustment Charge (BUC): With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and suspended transits through the Bab Al Mandab Strait, many vessels are now rerouting via significantly longer alternatives, including the Cape of Good Hope. Rising oil prices driven by these disruptions are expected to push global bunker costs upward, and carriers are likely to pass on these additional fuel‑related expenses.

• MKD Vyom
• Skylight
• Athe Nova
• Herkules Star
• Ocean Electra
• Unknown vessel(East of Fujairah)
• Safeen Prestige
• Iranian Warship sunk off Sri Lankan coast

• Spot rates are rising, GRIs, War Risk and other related surcharges are being applied across the region and beyond
• Expect rising Bunker cost with the closure of the strait oil prices will increase and the bunker eventually as a result
• Anticipate congestion in Gulf ports and Asian transshipment hubs depending on rerouting of current cargo
• Equipment imbalance likely, with shortages of empties at a later stage

• Closed airspaces: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Yemen
• Open airspace in the region:  Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman 

• Oman / MCT – operational
• UAE / DWC, DXB, AUH – limited operations only, expected to reopen
• Qatar / DOH – not operational, expected to reopen
• Saudi Arabia –airports operational
• Bahrain – not operational 

• Middle Eastern Carriers will have to clear backlogs before accepting new bookings
• Air carriers have restricted operations to Middle East destinations, capacity constraints 

• Due to foreseeable impact on jet fuel price, carriers started to introduce FSC increases
• Indirect impact: Routing changes on EU-AP and AP-EU lanes lead to increased operating cost
• Alternative routings of GCC bound shipments will attract additional lead times and rate adjustments 

• Airspace and airport closures led to significant impact on global airfreight capacity
• Short to mid term rate increases on all sectors to/from Middle East will see increases
• Indirect impact on other global network lanes unavoidable due to limitation of available capacity 

• Rates adjustments: Airfreight rates to Middle East region have been suspended, rate levels to other regions will be updated on regular basis including temporary adders
• Airfreight rate originating from Europe, Asia and Americas will be subject to temporary adders on lane level
• Fuel surcharges subject to increase

• UAE customs is operational and all is working

• Beirut Port , airport & Customs Operational - No Disruptions

• Now all ports are functional 

• Hamad International Airport: Customs operational in all ports
• Hamad Port: Customs operational in all ports
• Abu Samra Border: Customs operational in all ports

• Bahrain Airport Services: Operation suspended and only medical items and food stuff allowed for deliveries subject to authorities approval
• Khalifa Bin Salman Port: Operation suspended and only medical items and food stuff allowed for deliveries subject to authorities approval
• King Fahad Causeway: Normally operating as of now

• Airport: 
  • customs operational in all ports
• Seaport:
  • Customs operational in all ports

• BGW, EBL and BSR Airpots / UQ: Iraq customs is operational
• IKB border with Turkey: Iraq customs is operational

What is the current operational status of Red Sea and Hormuz routes?

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with very limited vessel crossings and no usable insurance cover, leading carriers to discharge cargo at safer ports such as Khorfakkan, Sohar, Salalah, Fujairah, and Jeddah.

How are carriers handling end-of-voyage declarations and unexpected discharge ports?

Carriers are ending voyages early and offloading containers at alternate ports. From there, onward trucking or re-export is arranged based on customer instruction, with costs determined by bill of lading terms.

Which ports remain operational for imports and exports?

Salalah, Sohar, Khorfakkan, Fujairah, Jeddah, and relevant Egypt ports remain operational for container flows, though accessibility depends on their location relative to closed airspace and Hormuz.

Are exports possible via Oman ports?

Yes. Exports are possible through Sohar, Salalah, and Muscat, and carriers continue to accept bookings through these ports.

How is sea freight from Asia to Europe affected?

Ocean schedules face delays as carriers reroute, discharge early, and face capacity constraints; additional trucking legs add time at destination.

What is the impact on sea freight via Cape of Good Hope?

Cape routings continue, but schedules are affected by congestion and ripple effects from stranded vessels and capacity displacement.

Which surcharges are being applied by shipping lines?

War risk, emergency contingency, emergency BAF, and general rate increases are being applied across trades due to heightened costs and insurance limitations.

How many vessels and containers are currently stranded?

Approximately 132 vessels and nearly half a million TEUs are impacted by discharge delays and restricted access to Gulf ports.

Is Jeddah accepting cargo from Europe?

Yes. Jeddah remains open for inbound flows from Europe and carriers continue accepting bookings without restriction.

Will upstream trades (Europe–Asia/Asia–Europe) see delays?

Yes, network displacement and vessel rotation disruption will cause delays on trades not directly routed through the Gulf.

Which airspaces remain open or closed?

Airspaces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Lebanon remain closed. UAE, Oman, Egypt, and Turkey have partially or fully open airspace with growing capacity.

Is uplift improving for GCC destinations?

Yes. Emirates and Etihad have resumed limited cargo uplift and some passenger flights are now carrying commercial cargo, gradually restoring capacity.

How will lack of capacity from Asia affect airfreight?

Asia-to-Europe airfreight faces constraints due to reduced Gulf carrier availability, though certain carriers are reintroducing limited freighters and network flights.

What is the status of shipments stuck in Bahrain?

All cargo except two aircraft loads has been cleared; discussions with authorities continue to secure offloading or safe air corridors.

What is the status of import/export flows for Israel?

Inbound and outbound flows face restrictions; airspace remains largely closed but limited operations are planned through sporadic flights.

Q: What is the status of border openings in the region?

All borders are open except the Lebanon–Syria route, which is temporarily closed; cross-loading into Syrian trucks is required for that corridor.

Is trucking capacity sufficient to absorb diverted flows?

Yes. Sufficient FTL capacity exists and additional assets are being deployed across GCC corridors.

Is multimodal routing via Egypt available?

Yes. A tested solution moves cargo via Egypt using ocean to Egypt, ferry to Saudi, and road to GCC destinations.

Can DHL move FCL discharged in Salalah into GCC markets?

Yes. A bonded transit solution is available through Oman—with simplified clearance—allowing cargo to reach GCC destinations by road.

Are LTL services available to Iraq?

No. Only FTL is currently supported into Basra due to operational constraints.

What is the situation at Jordan–Syria and Lebanon–Syria crossings?

Jordan–Syria is open with cross-loading required; Lebanon–Syria is currently not operational for transit shipments.