Maersk has revised its cargo acceptance, routing and landside arrangements across the Middle East as regional disruption continues to affect its network.
The carrier said the measures are intended to protect personnel and cargo while maintaining network stability, but warned that arrangements could change because of volatile operating conditions.
For landside transport, Maersk has temporarily paused bookings for cargo moving from the UAE and Qatar through Jeddah or Omani ports, from Jeddah to the UAE, Oman and Qatar, and from Salalah and Sohar to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
Operational context
Available export landbridge options include movements from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE through Salalah and Khor Fakkan, and from Iraq through Aqaba. Domestic import services remain available from Jeddah to Riyadh and Dammam, from several UAE ports to destinations within the country, and from Salalah to inland locations in Oman. Dry and frozen cargo may be accepted subject to capacity.
Ocean booking restrictions vary by cargo type. Maersk has suspended reefer bookings to and from several Upper Gulf markets and Saudi ports, as well as all reefer bookings to Jordan. Dry cargo bookings are suspended to and from the UAE, except Khor Fakkan and Jebel Ali under specified arrangements, and to and from Iraq and the Saudi ports of Dammam and Al Jubail. Dry bookings remain accepted for a number of locations including Jeddah, King Abdullah Port, Jordan, Salalah, Sohar, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Israel.
Dangerous goods bookings are suspended for several markets, including the UAE, Salalah, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan. Bookings remain available for Sohar, except IMO Class 5.1 cargo, while acceptance for Jeddah is limited to local consignees and carries an emergency freight charge of $3,800. Maersk said dangerous goods restrictions at Haifa and Ashdod have been lifted, with bookings accepted in line with local rules.
Out-of-gauge bookings are suspended to and from the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman, although transshipments through Salalah to non-Upper Gulf countries remain open. Separate acceptance arrangements apply to in-gauge cargo.
What it means for maritime operators
Certain shipments originally booked for Khor Fakkan will now be discharged at Fujairah and transferred under bond by land to Jebel Ali. Affected customers will receive shipment-specific information, while related transport, clearance and storage costs will be handled under Maersk’s terms of carriage.
For existing bookings and cargo in transit, Maersk is applying emergency freight rates of $1,800 for a 20-foot dry container, $3,000 for a 40-foot dry container and $3,800 for reefer, special and dangerous goods containers. The charges apply to cargo loading from or destined for specified ports in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman, excluding Salalah, subject to regulatory approvals.
Containers aboard vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz will incur an additional $1,000 charge. Maersk said this covers costs including insurance premiums and crew risk compensation. Customers may complete the planned voyage with temporary storage, request return to origin or seek a change of destination, subject to operational feasibility and additional charges. The temporary-storage option includes 14 days, after which a charge of $25 per TEU per day applies, alongside applicable reefer monitoring and plug-in costs.
Temporary arrangements also remain in place for returning empty containers, with designated depots, availability limits and location-specific drop-off charges across the region.