India–Jebel Ali Shipping: Carriers Start Taking Different Routes as Hormuz Risk Continues

The India–UAE shipping route is entering another interesting phase.

For the last several months, much of the cargo destined for Jebel Ali has been handled through alternative arrangements, including discharge at Khor Fakkan/Fujairah followed by road movement to Dubai, as carriers avoided direct vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

But the routing pattern is now becoming more mixed.

Market indications show that MSC has increased India–Jebel Ali freight by around USD 500 per container for both 20' and 40'/40HC equipment, although this specific increase has not been found in a publicly posted MSC tariff notice. At the same time, comparable increases have not been publicly identified in the current CMA CGM India advisories for this specific India–Jebel Ali movement.

More importantly, actual vessel movements are showing a change. Some MSC vessels and Unifeeder-operated services are again moving cargo directly towards Jebel Ali through the Strait of Hormuz, rather than using the Khor Fakkan–road alternative. Unifeeder itself continues to publish Jebel Ali–India connectivity, including its Mozambique–Jebel Ali–India service.

This does not mean that the Hormuz route has returned to normal. Quite the opposite. Reuters reported only four commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on September 17, compared with a 10-day average of 16, while the previous day saw only three commercial vessels.

That explains why carriers are taking different approaches. Some continue to use Khor Fakkan/Fujairah plus inland transfer, while others are putting selected cargo back onto direct sea movements to Jebel Ali when operationally possible.

The cost difference is also becoming important. Khor Fakkan is around 170 km from Dubai, and rerouting cargo there can add trucking, handling and additional operational costs. Earlier reports showed how the disruption pushed freight rates sharply higher for some India–UAE cargo.

The result is a very fluid India–Jebel Ali market: same destination, but different carrier, different routing, different risk and increasingly different freight levels.

For exporters and forwarders, the important question is therefore no longer simply “What is the freight to Jebel Ali?” — it is “How is the carrier actually moving my container to Jebel Ali?”

That routing detail can now make a significant difference to both transit time and total landed logistics cost.