Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates
Access timely insights and customer‑relevant updates on the evolving Middle East crisis
Customer Advisory
Customers downloading the advisory will get a clear snapshot of how the current Middle East security situation is impacting air, ocean, and road operations, along with expected delays and capacity constraints. It also outlines the mitigation steps DHL is taking and where to find the latest updates and shipment visibility tools.
5 Key Updates
Last Updated: March 02, 2026, 09:00CET
1. Airspace closures across the Gulf are causing significant disruption.
Most Gulf airports shut down, leaving only Saudi Arabia and Oman operational. This severely impacts global air routes that normally rely on Middle Eastern hubs.
2. Expect multiday delays due to reduced air cargo capacity.
Global air cargo capacity dropped by nearly 20%, and DHL anticipates delays of 48–96 hours as aircraft repositioning and airport reopenings take time.
3. Ocean carriers have paused most Middle East bookings, and vessels are diverting around Africa.
Shipping lines have stopped accepting new bookings into the region, and many vessels are now rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit times and costs.
4. Oman and Jeddah remain critical alternatives, but capacity is limited.
Ports in Oman (Sohar, Salalah) and Jeddah are open and viable rerouting options, but they cannot fully absorb Jebel Ali’s volumes. Trucking routes through Oman and KSA remain open.
5. DHL has activated contingency plans across all modes to support customers.
DHL is in process of activating all contingency measures in line with BCPs with daily updates to customers and visibility through myDHLi.
Access our latest Middle East Logistics Briefing Webinar Recordings
Get a clear overview of the regional disruptions and how they may impact your supply chain. In this recording, our experts break down the current situation, expected implications, and the actions DHL is taking to keep your cargo moving.
Ocean Freight Operational Impact
- UAE – All ports operational
- Kuwait – Both Shuaiba & Shuwaikh operational
- Saudi Ports – Operational
- Umm Qasr – Operational
- Hamad – Operational
- Bahrain – Still Not operational
- Oman – Sohar & Salalah operational, Duqm Not operational
- Beirut – Operational
- Umm Qasr – Operational
- 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
- MSC has stopped booking acceptance for Gulf on their Falcon service until further notice
- CMA stopped acceptance to reefer & DG bookings
- CMA CGM is accepting booking to ME and RS for Dry only, this is subject to ECS from March 2nd and GRI from March 8th (below)
- 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). This suspension does not apply to other trade corridors
- Maersk / COSCO / ONE and YML have also stopped/suspended bookings to/from ME
- Most carriers have stopped but the likes of ESL, CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd (only inbound) continue to accept bookings but at this moment they are still working on the contingency solution for all bookings to
- Main liners are still accepting bookings from Europe & Americas Eastbound to the Red Sea
- 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 may 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.
- No attacks on container vessels reported
- So far 3 tankers have been hit
- MKD Vyom - 28th Feb.
- Skylight – 1st March
- Athe Nova – 2nd March
- Expect rising spot rates, application of GRI, War Risk and other related surcharges
- 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
Air Freight Operational Impact
- Closed airspaces: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Yemen
- Open airspace in the region: Saudi Arabia, Jordan (partially), Lebanon, Oman
- Oman / MCT – operational
- UAE / DWC, DXB, AUH – limited operations only, expected to reopen 03 MAR
- Qatar / DOH – not operational
- Saudi Arabia –airports operational (RUH drone incidents disrupt)
- 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 levels 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: MTS rates to Middle East region have been suspended, rate levels to other regions will be updated on regular basis
- EU-AP and AP-EU rates will see increases due reduced capacity, main impact on South East Asia
- Fuel surcharges subject to increase
Airline | Flight suspensions | |
AFKL | DXB, DWC, RUH, DMM, BEY, TLV – UFN – bookings suspended until 06 MAR | |
CV | Operations into Gulf Region suspended UFN | |
CX | DWC/DXB until 05 MAR | |
DL | TLV suspended UFN | |
EK | All network flights via UAE until 03 MAR 0300 PM UAE time | |
ET | Operations to gulf region with few exceptions such as MCT | |
EY | Suspended all flights via AUH, DOH, DXB until 02 MAR | |
IAG | AMM, AUH, DOH, DXB, BAH, TLV are suspended until 03 and 04 MAR | |
LH Group | DXB, AUH suspended until 04 MAR. Flights to TLV, BEY, DMM, AMM, ERB, THR until 08 MAR. | |
QR | DOH until 02 MAR | |
SV | All flights to AUH, DOH, DWC, DXB, KWI ufn | |
SQ | DXB, JED until 07 MAR | |
TK | DOH, KWI, DXB, DWC, DMM, BAH until 03 MAR. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan suspended until 06 MAR. | |
UA | All flights to/from TLV until 05/06 MAR. All flights to/from DXB suspended until 03/04 MAR. |