Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates

• UAE – All ports operational
  • Khor Fakkan Port not accepting any containers for Exports neither empties nor laden to manage the terminal capacity
  • Reports of congestion building up and waiting times possibly going up to 7-10 days
  • Gulftainer applies an Emergency Operational Recovery Surcharge of $100/Container, effective 15^th March 13
    • This surcharge applies to container handling services performed at Khor Fakkan Commercial Terminal (KCT)
  • For containers arriving via Khor Fakkan POD, the same can be booked until Sajaa or Mileeha ICDs thereby helping to avoid truck congestion at the port
• Kuwait
  • Shuwaikh - Operational,
  • Shuaiba - Partially operational
• Saudi Ports – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational
• Hamad – Operational
• Bahrain – Partially Operational
• Oman
  • Sohar - Operational
  • Salalah – Partially Operational
  • Duqm - Operational
• Beirut – Operational
• Aqaba – Operational

• 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 

Across all major liners:

• Full suspension of bookings to/from Arabian Gulf ports; all carriers have now officially stopped accepting any services via Hormuz.
• 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:

• MSC: EoV declared for all Gulf‑bound shipments (3 March). Diversion & mandatory USD 800/container surcharge applied. Numerous emergency surcharges active.
• COSCO, 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.
• SeaLead: Continues via Bab al Mandab (isolated case).

• 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.

Vessels Attacked In Arabian Gulf / Strait Of Hormuz

• MKD Vyom - Tanker
• Skylight - Tanker
• Athe Nova - Tanker
• MT Hercules Star - Tanker
• Ocean Electra (Star Electra) - Tanker
• Sea La Donna - Tanker
• Safeen Prestige - Container
• LCT Ayeh - Tanker
• Stena Imperative - Tanker
• Libra Trader – Tanker
• Musaffah 2 - Tanker
• Sonangol Namibe – Tanker
• Prima - Tanker
• MSC Grace – Container
• Gold Oak – Bulk
• Pelagia - Bulk
• Unknown Vsl – Tugboat
• Mayuree Naree – Bulk
• ONE Majesty – Container
• Star Gwyneth – Bulk
• Safeesa Vishnu – Tanker
• Zefyros – Tanker
• Source Blessing – Container

• 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.

• 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 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 open for commercial container shipping? 

No. Due to extreme security risk, container carriers are avoiding Hormuz; cargo is being diverted to alternate ports, adding time and cost. 

How long will capacity constraints and high rates likely last? 

Leaders expect months, not weeks; every week of closure takes ~a month for ocean networks to realign, with fuel shortages compounding delays. 

Which Gulf ports are viable now—and how congested are they? 

Khorfakkan, Sohar, Jeddah and select UAE/Oman ports are operating; Khorfakkan reports 10+ day berthing waits and long truck queues. 

Are feeder shuttles running from UAE contingency ports to upper‑Gulf ports (e.g., Kuwait/Um Qasr)? 

Yes, carriers are increasingly deploying intra‑Gulf feeders between Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Sharjah and upper‑Gulf ports to reduce long overland moves. 

Do we need to unstuff containers at contingency ports like Khorfakkan or India/Sri Lanka hubs? 

Depending on line solutions and space, DHL can unstuff in free zones (e.g., Mumbai/Sri Lanka), restuff, and rebook onward into the GCC. Daily handling capacity is limited. 

Can DHL help when a BCO’s container was discharged in Mundra/Colombo instead of the GCC POD? 

Yes. If the BL is with the carrier, first check its solution; if none, DHL can arrange COD/cross‑stuffing and onward booking to GCC. 

What is the status for DG and reefer flows by sea? 

Via Jeddah, several lines accept DG (not special classes) and ambient/controlled reefers (e.g., 10–25°C). Eastern‑Gulf entries (Khorfakkan/Fujairah) restrict special equipment. 

Is Fujairah a meaningful alternative container port? 

It may be used by some lines, but it is small and not a conventional container terminal; unmanaged volumes could congest it quickly. 

Are bulk vessels to contingency ports feasible? 

Technically possible, but most carriers avoid Hormuz; containerization in big bags may be the practical alternative in many cases. 

Are transshipment hubs (e.g., India/Sri Lanka) congested and what lead time should we plan? 

Terminals are coping, but carrier replanning causes delays. A realistic end‑to‑end best case for on‑forwarding can be ~30 days given free‑zone handling, sailings and GCC congestion. 

Which airspaces remain closed and what capacity is available?

Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait airspace remain closed. Regional air capacity is ~43% and fluctuates as hubs realign and incidents occur. 

How is DHL Express moving freight into the region? 

Reconfigured network flights into Riyadh and Muscat (plus commercial lift into DXB/AUH/Levant) with bonded road into Kuwait, Bahrain and Doha; Israel moves via Cyprus + sea to Haifa. 

What about shipments to Israel from the UK/EU? 

The lane operates via Cyprus and ferry to Haifa when security permits; scheduling remains subject to change. 

Is there a dedicated solution for pharma/GDP (2–8°C and 15–25°C)? 

Yes. A Jeddah charter is being prepared for life sciences, with GDP‑compliant final‑mile road through DHL’s partner Ajax across the GCC. 

Will rising fuel/insurance affect air pricing and ad‑hoc charters? 

Yes. Jet fuel availability is constrained and premiums are rising; scheduled flights access fuel more easily than charters, affecting cost and reliability. 

Are borders open and what congestion should we expect post‑Eid? 

Borders are open and rules eased, but Oman–UAE (Hatta/Wajaja) now sees 48–72h crossings; post‑Eid, Oman–Saudi (Rub’ al Khali), UAE–Oman and UAE–Saudi (Batha/Sila) may clog. 

Are temperature‑controlled pharma shipments prioritized at borders? 

GDP moves are organized with dedicated assets, but all lanes share the same border realities; customers should still buffer time and pre‑book capacity. 

What is the typical transit time from Alexandria to Jebel Ali by road and what paperwork is required? 

Plan roughly 15–17 days, subject to Safaga/Batha waits. Requires a letter of guarantee and duty deposit in Egypt, plus shipping‑line doc changes for transit.