March 19th, 2026 – The redirection of containerized cargo into land-based transport networks not built for such volume is placing growing pressure on road and rail systems across the Middle East.
As conflict disrupts traditional shipping routes, ocean carriers are expanding inland logistics solutions. CMA CGM has joined Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, Ocean Network Express, and Zim in deploying road, rail, and feeder services to assist shippers with stranded cargo.
Infrastructure limitations are becoming increasingly evident. Hapag-Lloyd noted that regional transport systems were not designed for the current surge in trucking demand, especially with longer cross-border routes now required. The carrier emphasized close collaboration with logistics partners to maintain service reliability in key markets such as the UAE.
Logistics providers report similar strain, indicating that while road freight remains operational, it is facing mounting customs delays and capacity constraints as cargo shifts from air and ocean to land. Trucking shortages across major corridors—including Oman, Fujairah, and Saudi Arabia—are tightening timelines for resolving stranded shipments.
Additional logistics providers are also reporting rising congestion across ports and road networks with ships calling at Khor Fakkan in the UAE experiencing delays exceeding ten days, with long truck queues forming at terminals. Increased reliance on road freight is also driving up transit times and costs.
With commercial vessels unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iran conflict enters its third week, container traffic bound for the Middle East is being rerouted to alternative ports outside the Persian Gulf. Key discharge points now include Khor Fakkan and Fujairah in the UAE, along with Sohar in Oman.
This shift is critical given that Gulf countries import over 90% of their goods. With ocean access restricted, trucking has become the primary alternative.
CMA CGM has responded by establishing integrated transport corridors linking the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan via ports such as Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar, and Jeddah. These solutions combine road and maritime services to connect major UAE hubs—including Khalifa Port, Jebel Ali, and Sharjah—with the wider region.
From Jeddah, the carrier has developed road corridors—optionally paired with maritime links—to move cargo into Saudi Arabia and onward to neighboring Gulf countries. These routes also enable connections to the Mediterranean and Asia while avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. Additional options through Omani ports provide road and feeder links into the UAE and northern Gulf markets.
Before the conflict, carriers already offered inland haulage across the region. However, recent disruptions have forced rapid expansion and adaptation of these services.
For non-urgent cargo already in transit, some carriers—including MSC, CMA CGM, and Yang Ming—have declared an end-of-voyage status, transferring responsibility to cargo owners once containers are discharged at alternative ports.
Maersk has taken a more flexible approach, offering options such as temporary storage, returning cargo to origin, or redirecting shipments. The carrier is routing eastbound cargo through Salalah and Khor Fakkan, while European shipments are being moved via Jeddah and transported overland across the Arabian Peninsula.
As the situation continues, land transport is becoming central to maintaining supply chains, despite growing congestion, capacity constraints, and rising costs.
