Middle East Shipping Update: Red Sea, Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz
Update: May 22nd, 2026
The situation across key Middle East shipping corridors remains highly disrupted, with no meaningful return to normal routing at this stage.
Red Sea and Suez Canal
The Red Sea corridor remains largely avoided by mainline carriers. The ongoing security risk in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait continues to keep most container services away from the Suez route.
As a result, the majority of Asia–Europe and Asia–US East Coast services are still being rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope. This is now well established across most major alliances.
Transit times remain extended, with schedules typically running several days to a couple of weeks longer depending on the service and rotation. Carrier schedules are still adjusting, and blank sailings and rolled cargo remain part of normal operations on affected trades.
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz remains the most critical pressure point in the region.
As of May 2026, commercial vessel movement through the Strait remains heavily restricted and inconsistent. While there have been limited and controlled transits reported, the overall level of traffic is still far below normal, and the area continues to operate under high security risk conditions.
A significant number of vessels remain waiting outside the Gulf or operating under controlled routing arrangements. Passage is still influenced by security clearance, insurance conditions, and carrier risk assessments on a case-by-case basis.
This continues to affect cargo flows in and out of key Gulf hubs such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Iraq.
Gulf region operations
Ports in the region are still working, but the network is under pressure.
Jebel Ali, Dammam, Hamad Port, and surrounding gateways are handling diverted volumes, but schedules are less predictable than usual. Feeder networks are also under strain due to vessel repositioning and congestion management.
We continue to see:
- Schedule changes at short notice
- Capacity balancing across regional services
- Higher reliance on transshipment via alternative hubs
- Ongoing war risk and insurance surcharges
Overall impact on supply chains
For importers and exporters, the main challenges remain:
- Longer transit times, especially on Asia–Europe lanes
- Reduced schedule reliability across Gulf-linked trades
- Higher freight and insurance costs
- Limited flexibility in routing through traditional Middle East corridors
There has been no full stabilisation across either the Red Sea or the Strait of Hormuz. Carriers are still operating in a risk-managed environment, with routing decisions driven by security conditions and insurance requirements rather than schedule efficiency.
We will continue to monitor developments closely and update as routing options and service reliability evolve.