GCC Activates Alternative Routes Amid Hormuz Shipping Disruptions

Escalating regional tensions in the Arabian Gulf have disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman to activate alternative logistics corridors and ports to sustain cargo flows across the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The world's second-largest container shipping company, A.P. Moller Maersk, has responded by suspending bookings to several Gulf ports, redistributing fuel supplies and imposing temporary surcharges, as authorities work to bypass the chokepoint that handles about 20 percent of global fuel movements.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, faces heightened risks from attacks on vessels and facilities, including drone strikes on oil infrastructure at Oman's Port of Salalah and incidents involving Japan-flagged ships. In response, Saudi Arabia's Ports Authority, known as Mawani, launched an integrated logistics program on Tuesday to redirect containers and general cargo from eastern ports to Red Sea terminals such as Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdullah Port, Yanbu Commercial Port and Jazan Port. Cargo is then transported via designated trucking routes to...