Saudi Arabia Adds 5 Shipping Services To Bolster Trade Links Amid Hormuz Disruptions

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ports authority has added five new shipping services with major global carriers, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, to help combat disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, said the services will have a combined capacity of 63,594 twenty-foot equivalent units, and will also involve shipping firms MSC and CMA CGM.

The routes — Gulf Shuttle, Redex, Jade, AE19 and SE4 — connect the Kingdom’s ports to regional and international destinations. 

The services are designed to support the smooth flow of goods, enhance logistics efficiency and reinforce Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics hub. 

The expansion comes as shipping routes in the Arabian Gulf face severe disruption due to the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran, which has led to a near shutdown of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a key global oil and trade chokepoint. 

Nick Bartlett, co-founder of Dubai-based logistics firm Wayfindr, told Arab News the move reflects a deeper transformation in how port authorities respond to disruption. 

“Right now, uncertainty is the operating condition in the Arabian Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz isn’t just a geographic chokepoint — it’s a psychological one,” he said. 

Bartlett added: “Every day a captain doesn’t know if they can get fuel, rotate crew, or take on fresh water is a day schedules start to slip.” 

The newly launched services will offer more flexible shipping options for exporters and importers while strengthening links across both the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea corridors. 

The initiative builds on measures introduced on March 21 to support maritime operations in the Arabian Gulf, as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt shipping routes and raise uncertainty for global trade. 

Those measures included integrated support services across Eastern Region ports, such as bunkering, crew changes, and the provision of food, water, and medical supplies, aimed at sustaining vessel operations and minimizing delays. The latest expansion into new shipping routes signals a shift toward broader network resilience. 

Bartlett said the Kingdom’s approach signals a more agile and coordinated model, while also highlighting the human impact on crews navigating uncertainty at sea. 

“This is more significant than it looks. Bundling provisioning, bunkering, crew changes, and round-the-clock coordination under one authority isn’t just a convenience upgrade,” he said. 

Paolo Carlomagno, partner at Arthur D. Little, told Arab News the measures provide a timely and effective response to mounting pressures on Gulf shipping. 

“First, it ensures continuity of operations and reduces disruption risks for vessels in the Gulf. Second, it enhances service provision and operational efficiency through a more integrated and coordinated port offering,” he said. 

Carlomagno added that the broader significance lies in how these efforts evolve. 

“The real opportunity is to transition this from a context-driven response into a structural, long-term national supply chain resilience platform,” he said. 

Carlomagno added: “If institutionalized and scaled, it will deliver lasting impact aligned with Vision 2030, strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics hub and a preferred maritime service center.”