Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates

• After a brief opening the Hormuz Strait has been once again officially closed due to the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports by the US
• The situation on the ground still remains unclear as carriers are yet to announce any update on their plans for either short term or permanent return to routing via the Hormuz Strait
• All major carriers have now halted/alternated bookings to/from or via Arabian Gulf ports, and surcharges continue to escalate.
• Port operations are technically open in most locations but are functionally constrained due to the lack of vessel calls, congestion, and yard‑space limitations, congestions building up.
• DGF Ops, Trade, and Crisis Calls remain activated with full vessel and shipment visibility, exception handling, and daily cross‑functional alignment.

• UAE – All ports operational
• Kuwait
  • Shuwaikh –Operational
  • Shuaiba - Operational
• Saudi Ports – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational
• Hamad – Operational
• Bahrain – Operational
• Oman
  • Sohar – Operational
  • Salalah –Operational
  • Duqm – Operational
• Beirut – Operational
• Aqaba – Operational

Across all major liners:

• Service omissions, early voyage terminations, diversions, and Cape of Good Hope rerouting widely in effect.
• Reefer, DG, and Special Cargo restrictions are now industry‑wide.

Examples:

• Maersk accepting only bookings up to Sohar & Khor Fakkan
• Maersk still only accepting Empty Return at Salalah, Jeddah and Sohar
• MSC: EoV declared for all Gulf‑bound shipments (3 March). Diversion & mandatory USD 800/container surcharge applied. Numerous emergency surcharges active.
• Evergreen, YML: Broad suspensions to Upper Gulf.
• CMA CGM: Broad booking halt; Clause 10 activated on multiple vessels; Suez routings suspended.
• Maersk: Wide‑scale suspension of Gulf & ISC lanes; reefer/DG stops; FM1/ME11 suspended; acceptance only for essential cargo.
• Hapag-Lloyd: No Gulf bookings except Jeddah.

• 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.

• MSC arranging vessel connections to Gulf for containers discharged in India and Sri Lanka  
• Vessel connections to the Gulf for these diverted shipments are still limited
• Dwell times increasing across impacted ports (up to 10 days); Ops teams monitoring in real time.
• Carriers issuing early voyage terminations, port omissions, return voyages and forced diversions.
• Extended or special F/T do not apply any longer on any of the diverted shipments, and will be changed to either standard or zero days
• F/T removal though applies to all diverted shipments, but we see that for shipments diverted to Khor Fakkan this needs to be strictly followed as the Terminal is taking these steps to avoid the buildup of any congestion 

• Spot rates increasing sharply, with multiple GRIs in effect.
• Rising oil prices expected to elevate bunker levels.
• Port & transshipment congestion likely in Gulf and Asian hubs as re-routings intensify.
• Equipment imbalance emerging due to suspended flows and empty‑return bottlenecks.
• Freight tariffs (M‑level) centrally expired for MEA & Israel due to market volatility.

• 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 

• 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 as of now

• Customs Operational in all ports

• Kuwait customs is operational and all ports are functioning - But airspace is closed

• 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:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• Khalifa Bin Salman Port:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• King Fahad Causeway:  no operation at airport and sea port today 

• Airport: 
  • customs operational in all ports
• Seaport:
  • Apart from Salalah port, Customs operational 

• BGW, EBL and BSR Airpots / UQ: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended
• IKB border with Turkey: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended

Is the Strait of Hormuz currently open for commercial shipping?

No. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed and no commercial container shipping is taking place at this time.

Why is congestion increasing at ports such as Jeddah and Khor Fakkan?

With the Strait of Hormuz closed, cargo is being diverted to a limited number of gateway ports, causing significant congestion.

Are containers getting stuck for long periods in Jeddah?

Yes. High volumes and limited truck availability have resulted in extended dwell times at Jeddah port.

What are the risks of demurrage and detention charges?

Demurrage and detention charges continue to accumulate when containers remain idle at congested ports.

Is Jeddah the only port accepting dangerous goods?

No. While Jeddah is among the most flexible ports, Sohar and Salalah also accept dangerous goods subject to carrier approval.

Are dangerous goods containers restricted from moving onward by road?

Dangerous goods can be moved onward by road once accepted by the port and carrier, with no blanket road transport restrictions.

Are ocean freight rates still increasing?

Yes. Elevated risk, fuel costs, diversions and congestion continue to drive higher freight rates and surcharges.

Is Bahrain International Airport operational for cargo flights?

Yes, Bahrain airspace is open and limited commercial and cargo flights have resumed, though capacity remains constrained.

Are DHL Express flights operating again into Bahrain?

No dedicated DHL Express hub operations have resumed yet; Bahrain is currently served through alternative hubs.

Is air freight capacity improving across the Gulf?

Yes. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are steadily increasing capacity compared to earlier phases of the crisis.

Are air freight rates starting to soften?

Early signs of rate softening are visible as more capacity returns, though rates remain above pre-crisis levels.

Are jet fuel shortages impacting air cargo operations?

Jet fuel availability remains a concern globally and continues to put pressure on airline operations and rates.

Is Israel currently served by air freight?

Yes. Daily air freight operations into Israel are ongoing with no need for ferry-based alternatives.

Are road connections across the GCC operating normally?

Yes. Cross-border road transport remains operational despite some congestion at key borders.

Is there congestion at the Oman–UAE and Saudi–Bahrain borders?

Yes. Border congestion is causing delays of up to one to two days in some corridors.

Are GDP-compliant road services available for pharmaceuticals?

GDP-compliant trucks are available in limited numbers, primarily for dedicated healthcare charters.

What temperature ranges can be supported on cross-border road shipments?

Temperature-controlled solutions are available across chilled, ambient and frozen ranges, subject to capacity.

Is the Europe–Turkey–GCC landbridge solution operational?

Yes. DHL offers landbridge solutions connecting Europe to the GCC via Turkey, Syria or Iraq.

What transit times can customers expect via the landbridge?

Transit times typically range from 22 to 35 days depending on routing and border conditions.

Will some of these new multimodal routes remain after the crisis?

Several emergency corridors have proven effective, though their long-term availability will depend on post-crisis regulations.