New Gulf Shipping Route via Khor Fakkan and Sharjah Emerges Amid Hormuz Crisis

27/03/2026

BAGHDAD (AP), Mar 27: Cargo volumes at Iraq’s main deep-water port of Umm Qasr Port have dropped by around 50% since the outbreak of the war, according to local port authorities.

Port director Mohammed Taher Fadhil said on Friday that traditional maritime routes have become unviable, with direct access through the Strait of Hormuz effectively disrupted. As a result, shipping companies are increasingly turning to alternative, more complex logistics chains.

Under the new arrangements, large cargo vessels are being diverted to Khor Fakkan Port on the Gulf of Oman, where shipments are offloaded and transported overland by truck to Sharjah. The cargo is then reloaded onto smaller vessels for onward shipment to Umm Qasr.

Fadhil said the multi-stage process has led to significant delays and sharply increased transportation costs, adding further strain to regional trade flows already impacted by the ongoing conflict.