The Middle East shipping problem has moved to the ports.
With normal movements through the Strait of Hormuz still heavily restricted, carriers have pushed more cargo and vessel calls towards Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and Sohar. The result is predictable: the alternative gateways are now carrying a load they were never designed to absorb for such a long period.
The situation at Khor Fakkan is particularly visible. Portcast recorded a median vessel waiting time of 6.31 days for 16–22 August, placing the port in its high-congestion category. Other market data showed Fujairah and Sohar also facing several days of waiting.
A case being discussed in the market is GFS GISELLE. The vessel reached the Fujairah area in early August and its subsequent berthing was only seen much later in the month — roughly 25 days between arrival and berth. The published vessel schedules confirm GFS GISELLE was operating on the Fujairah service during this period.
That kind of delay does more than delay one ship.
A vessel waiting 10, 15 or 20-plus days is effectively removed from its normal rotation. Its next sailing moves late, the connecting feeder misses its window, containers remain at the transshipment hub and the next vessel arrives with cargo that cannot be connected on time. Slowly, the shortage of ships and equipment spreads across the network.
This is why the impact is now being felt from India and Southeast Asia into the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq.
Carriers have already changed their networks. Maersk, for example, has been routing some Gulf cargo through Salalah and Khor Fakkan, followed by landbridge and feeder connections, while also applying emergency charges because of the additional operational cost.
The cost is also becoming visible. Khor Fakkan has seen congestion-related surcharges, while Maersk's emergency arrangements include USD 1,000 per container for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, plus storage costs in certain circumstances.
And there is no quick fix yet.
As of 1 September, traffic through Hormuz remains far below normal. Reuters reported only five vessel transits on Monday, compared with the normal level of around 14, while the wider security situation remains unresolved.
So the question is no longer simply when will Hormuz reopen?
The bigger question for shippers is how long will it take for the entire Middle East network to recover after Hormuz eventually becomes safer?
Even if the security situation improves tomorrow, the vessels, containers, berths and feeder networks already out of position will need weeks to rebalance.
For now, there is no credible fixed date for a full return to normal operations. The immediate reality is that the congestion has shifted from the main route to the alternative ports — and those alternative ports are now becoming the bottleneck themselves.
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