May 7th, 2026 – Hapag-Lloyd and Mediterranean Shipping Co. are among the first ocean carriers to reestablish seaborne cargo connections to the upper Persian Gulf after routes were largely disrupted in early March due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
The newly introduced services incorporate land bridge solutions designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively inaccessible. Ongoing hostilities, including renewed flare-ups earlier this week, reinforce expectations that the strait will continue to be avoided for the foreseeable future.
Within the past several days, both carriers have rolled out separate offerings that rely on third-party feeder vessels linking key regional ports such as Jebel Ali in Dubai, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and Shuwaikh in Kuwait. This approach has enabled Hapag-Lloyd to reopen bookings to the upper Gulf, while MSC is leveraging feeder connections as part of a new express service linking Europe, the Red Sea, and the Middle East.
They follow CMA CGM, which has been operating similar feeder-based solutions since March as part of a broader multimodal network introduced after a temporary suspension of bookings.
In contrast, Maersk continues to hold back, maintaining its suspension on bookings for dry, refrigerated, and in-gauge cargo to and from most Gulf destinations, including the UAE (with the exception of Khor Fakkan), Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
Hapag-Lloyd’s resumed service is limited to dry, refrigerated, and standard special containers. Its feeder operations are centered around Sharjah, connecting to ports across the UAE as well as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraq. To support this network, a bonded trucking corridor links Sharjah with Khor Fakkan on the Gulf of Oman. From there, cargo can access maritime connections to Indian ports such as Mundra and Nhava Sheva, as well as Salalah in Oman.
Transit between Sharjah and Khor Fakkan via bonded road transport is estimated at roughly five days. However, operations remain fluid. The carrier originally halted bookings to the upper Gulf on March 4, shortly after military action involving the US and Israel against Iran in late February. Given the continued security risks, feeder schedules are not fixed and are being adjusted based on safety conditions in the region.
MSC is adopting a comparable model for its new Europe–Red Sea–Middle East express service, scheduled to launch on May 10. The service will connect Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Umm Qasr in Iraq with Dammam. From there, cargo will move overland across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of King Abdullah.
This new service is being introduced to meet rising demand for connections between Europe and the Red Sea while addressing the operational challenges posed by the current Middle East situation. The inaugural sailing is set to depart Antwerp on May 10, with the eastbound rotation including Gdansk, Klaipeda, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Valencia, Barcelona, Gioia Tauro, Abu Kir, King Abdullah, Jeddah, and Aqaba.
