Week 12 – Middle East Operational Update
Last updated on March 16, 2026
GEMINI Indian Ocean Service (IOS)
- All ships in IOS service will omit Jebel Ali port call until further notice due to Strait of Hormuz closure.
GEMINI Indian Subcontinent Med Express (IMX)
- All ships in IMX service will omit Jebel Ali port call until further notice due to Strait of Hormuz closure.
- Astrid Maersk voy. 609W is the last IMX service vessel to sail westbound from Middle East to Mediterranean.
- Maersk Cleveland voy. 606E omitted Salalah eastbound call following vessel owner’s decision.
GEMINI India Europe Express (IEX)
- Cap San Sounio voy. 605E omitted Colombo eastbound call due to adverse weather delays from Europe.
GEMINI Asia Gulf Express (AGX)
- Nansha Express voy. 609E made an inducement call at Colombo on 28th February to phase out of AGX service.
- Seaspan Ganges voy. 605W/611E omitted Jebel Ali call on 06th March due to Middle East conflicts.
- Seaspan Amazon voy. 606W/612E will omit Jebel Ali call on 13th March due to Middle East conflicts.
Kuwait Feeder (KWF)
- KWF Hui Fa omitted Jebel Ali, Shuaiba and Shuwaikh due to Strait of Hormuz closure. She will discharge cargo in Khorfakkan, berth to be confirmed.
- KWF Lisbon Express omitted Jebel Ali, Shuaiba and Shuwaikh due to Strait of Hormuz closure. Alternative port for cargo discharge is under review.
- KWF service is suspended until further notice due to Strait of Hormuz closure.
India - Arabian Gulf Service 1 (IG1)
- IG1 Acastos omitted Jebel Ali, Dammam and Umm Qasr due to Strait of Hormuz closure. She discharged all cargo in Mundra and phased out of service.
- IG1 service is suspended until further notice due to Strait of Hormuz closure.
India – America Express (TPI)
- Nagoya Express voy. 5252 will make adhoc call at Muhammad Bin Qasim on 18th March to discharge Pakistan imports and will omit Salalah port call on voy. 6112 on 29th March.
Middle East
- Jebel Ali – Under contingency
- Jeddah – Under continency
- Salalah – Under contingency
- Dammam – Under contingency
- Umm Qasr, Iraq – Under Contingency
- Upper Gulf: Under Contingency
India
- Mundra, Kandla and Nhava Sheva –Operating as normal
- Colombo – Up to 12-24 Hrs. delays expected for window vessels berthing until next few weeks, due to heavily impacted by bad weather. Seasonal weather impacts
With your cargo planning in mind, we've upgraded our inland operations in India. With this change, you'll enjoy faster and more efficient services, a wider geographical coverage in India, and greater rate transparency, especially through our online products Quick Quotes and Quick Quotes Spot.
To guide you on this upgrade, which is starting on July 1, 2023,, here's a summary of your inland options:
- Shipper's PDA: Empty pickup at port or Inland Container Depot (ICD) and handover at port. To access this service, select "Port of loading " and mention the "Pick-up at ICD". Please keep in mind that the empty pickup origin fee (POO) will apply and BL would only read port of loading and not “ICD location”
- Rail ex-ICD (on Liner PDA): Empty pickup and container handover at an ICD. To access this service, please select "Received at terminal / ramp" and mention the handover ICD. Please note that rail pre-carriage charges (OLF) will apply. The empty pickup origin fee (POO) is included.
- First Mile trucking: Hapag-Lloyd empty positioning and handover at ICD or port. To access this service, select "Received at your door" and detail the pickup location details. Please note that pre-carriage charges (OLF) for trucking and rail (for ICD movements) will apply. The empty pickup origin fee (POO) is included.
To guide you through the scenarios and process, you can access the latest guide for inland bookings from India
The ongoing Suez Canal situation has resulted in changes and adjustments in the shipping industry, in particular for vessels in the Middle East and India markets where space on board vessels is limited. To alleviate that and to ensure you do not face issues when booking with us, we are implementing changes to our booking process with immediate effect:
- Booking Window Restriction: our booking window within the scope of the Middle East* has been revised to three weeks. This means that you will be able to place bookings for up to three subsequent weeks available sailings. With this restriction, we are ensuring space availability options by preventing early bookings.
- Booking Monitoring: we are working to ensure that all of our customers get an equal chance to load on our ships. Therefore, we're monitoring bookings for every vessel at a customer level and will discourage bulk bookings or bookings that exceed the mutually agreed quantity.
- Booking Amendment Policy: with your cargo flow in mind and to ensure a clear overview of your cargo on our vessels, booking in advance will not be feasible. If you require amending a booking to a previous week's vessel , please cancel your existing booking and place a new one.
- Last Minute Space Availability: to provide you with an extended opportunity to secure bookings, we will strive to keep our Quick Quotes Spot product open until the last minute.
- Shipping Guarantee: when feasible, you can opt for our Shipping Guarantee product to protect your shipment from potential rollovers.
- Track Your Shipments: you can use our track and trace feature to identify the vessel on which your cargo has been loaded. Due to the current circumstances, you can then view the latest updates and status of the assigned vessel directly on our Live Ticker. This link will guide you through the actual vessel status, including its next port of call.
While the Suez Canal situation is fluid, we are continuously working towards finding alternatives for your cargo planning. In case you would like to review the charges related to booking cancellations, amendments and other related local charges, please refer to our tariff section and select the country of your interest. If you should have any questions or comments, please reach out to our teams at your preferred location.
*The countries under the Middle East scope covered in this initiative are: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Sudan, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia.
- Reach out to your local customer service representative here
| Port Region | Port | Terminal Name | Service | Waiting Time at Terminal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIDDLE EAST | Ennore, India | ADANI ENNORE | IEX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Ennore, India | ADANI ENNORE | PS7 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Hazira, India | ADANI HAZIRA PORT | MIA | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO INT'L | AA7 | 1 - 2 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO INT'L | CIX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO INT'L | US4 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO WEST INT | AGX | 2 - 3 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO WEST INT | IEX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO WEST INT | PS7 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO WEST INT | SE1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | COLOMBO WEST INT | US4 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | COSCO ABU DHABI | IMX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | COSCO ABU DHABI | KWF | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | DPW MIDDLE EAST LTD | JD1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | DPW MIDDLE EAST LTD | JD2 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | DPW MIDDLE EAST LTD | JD3 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | AGX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | EA2 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | IG1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | IMX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | IOS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | KWF | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | MIA | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T2) | MUS | 2 - 3 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates | JAT FZE (T3) | EA2 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates | GULFTAINER, KHORFAK. | EA2 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates | GULFTAINER, KHORFAK. | KWF | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Umm Qasr, Iraq | ICTSI BERTH 27 IQUQR | IG1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Kandla, India | KANDLA INTERNATIONAL | IG1 | 2 - 3 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Kandla, India | KANDLA INTERNATIONAL | KWF | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Karachi, Pakistan | KARACHI | KWF | 1 - 2 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA INTERNATIONAL | IAX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA INTERNATIONAL | IMX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA INTERNATIONAL | MUS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA PORT & S.E.Z. | EA2 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA PORT & S.E.Z. | IOS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA PORT & S.E.Z. | MIA | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Mundra, India | MUNDRA PORT & S.E.Z. | TPI | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NHAVA SHEVA FREEPORT | EA2 | 1 - 2 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NHAVA SHEVA FREEPORT | IG1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NHAVA SHEVA FREEPORT | MIA | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NSICT | MUS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NSIGT | IOS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NSIGT | MUS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Nhava Sheva, India | NSIGT | TPI | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Pipavav, India | GUJARAT PIPAVAV PORT | AGX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Pipavav, India | GUJARAT PIPAVAV PORT | MUS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Aqaba, Jordan | ACT | JD3 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Colombo, Sri Lanka | SOUTH ASIA GATEWAY | MIA | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Salalah, Oman | SALALAH PORT,OMAN | IG1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Salalah, Oman | SALALAH PORT,OMAN | IMX | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Salalah, Oman | SALALAH PORT,OMAN | IOS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Salalah, Oman | SALALAH PORT,OMAN | MUS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Salalah, Oman | SALALAH PORT,OMAN | NE1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Salalah, Oman | SALALAH PORT,OMAN | TPI | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Dammam, Saudi Arabia | SAUDI GLOBAL T1 | IG1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Shuaiba, Kuwait | SHUAIBA PORT,KUWAIT | KWF | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Shuwaikh, Kuwait | SCT(KWKWI) TERMINAL | KWF | 1 - 2 Days |
| MIDDLE EAST | Dammam, Saudi Arabia | SAUDI GLOBAL T2 | IG1 | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Shuaiba, Kuwait | SHUAIBA PORT,KUWAIT | KWF | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Shuwaikh, Kuwait | SCT(KWKWI) TERMINAL | IOS | < 1 Day |
| MIDDLE EAST | Shuwaikh, Kuwait | SCT(KWKWI) TERMINAL | KWF | 2 - 3 Days |