Important Customer Update: UAE Shipping & Transit Disruptions

This update provides clear guidance on the current regional shipping situation and answers the most common questions we’re receiving from customers about transit times, routing, bookings and container loading.

Outbound Shipments from the Middle East

Status: Regional Corridors Under Extreme Strain

The US-Iran conflict has escalated into a renewed kinetic phase, with the effective collapse of the Memorandum of Understanding. With active risk in the Strait of Hormuz, transits are at their lowest levels in weeks.

Since the start of the conflict, major carriers have suspended all rotations and held all vessels out of Gulf. They will not reinstate normal rotations to Gulf ports until they see sustained stability, workable protocols and a reduction in insurance risk premiums.

Port Congestion and Operational Challenges

Crown Relocations has routed personal effects shipments every day via the below 2 alternative land corridors and ports since April 2026:

• The ‘Green Corridor’ via Sohar, Salalah (Oman) – Shipments are loaded into the shipping container at Crown facilities, transported by road to Sohar, by feeder vessel to Salalah by sea and then loaded for onward transit to the destination port.
• Khor Fakkan (UAE) – Shipments are loaded into the shipping container at Crown facilities, transported by road to Khor Fakkan and then loaded for onward transit to the destination port.

The ports of Khor Fakkan (UAE) and Sohar (Oman) are now facing critical levels of congestion as they handle diverted traffic and volumes far exceeding the norm.

Congestion at Jeddah (KSA) is even more severe. Crown has not found the ‘Saudi Landbridge’ to Jeddah (KSA), routed via Dammam, an efficient and predictable routing for personal effects shipments. This congestion has been exported to ports well outside the region such as Mundra and Nhava Sheva, which act as important transit ports for shipments to and from the GCC.

To manage the severe regional shipping disruptions and spike in volumes, port operators have implemented emergency measures such as imposing strict time windows so that export containers are only allowed within a 5-day window prior to the vessel arrival, capping the number of containers accepted on each vessel for a faster turnaround and even emergency restrictions to halt export acceptance if capacity thresholds are reached.

Due to the operational challenges faced by the carriers, we are seeing continuous changes in sailing schedules, their routings, ‘rolled shipments’ – when a booked container is rescheduled to the next available sailing vessel –, delays at transhipment ports and recently for Maersk, suspending bookings until August, while they cleared their backlog.

Thanks to the actions of the UAE Government and the coordinated response from the GCC leadership, shipments are still moving through these alternative land corridors and ports. However, flexibility is key.

What This Means to Our Customers

Many of the pre-conflict ways of working that our customers valued such as direct loading from residence, confirming shipping dates, exact routing and estimated times of arrival before packing, providing tracking details as soon as the container is delivered at port are not possible at the moment.

Crown Relocations have been allowing an additional 3 weeks in our estimated door to door transit times since we established the ‘Green Corridor’ land corridor. However, at times of severe disruption, this can extend by another 2 weeks

The points below outline the key operational changes currently affecting personal effects shipments from the UAE:

1. All personal effects shipments need to be loaded from Crown’s facilities in Dubai or Abu Dhabi after packing. It is not possible to load from the customer’s residence as before the conflict.

2. Move Managers are making routing decisions on a case-by-case basis according to container and shipping line booking availability. Most shipments are proceeding along the ‘Green Corridor’ via Sohar (Oman) due to capacity. However, where there are opportunities through Khor Fakkan (UAE), they take them. There are no significant differences in cost or sailing times for either option.

Crown’s Move Managers always work in the best interests of our customers, choose the best available option and avoid bookings from shipping lines, who are facing major delays at transhipment ports further along their routes.

3. Shipping rates, which used to be guaranteed for booking each month, are only being guaranteed for 24 hours at the time of booking. Crown always shares current and realistic shipping rates in our service proposals and works to avoid passing on additional charges wherever possible.

4. Advanced bookings are not possible. Carrier bookings are only being confirmed, and containers released, within a 5-day window prior to the vessel arrival. Crown Relocations can confirm pack dates in advance, transport and safely store in our Dubai or Abu Dhabi facilities until the first booking is available.

Crown have large, professional dedicated facilities but it is in our interest for shipments to move out as soon as possible. Our Move Managers are securing the very first booking possible!

5. Unlike before the conflict, there are no direct sailings from the current alternate ports. All shipments are being transhipped through Mundra (India) or Salalah (Oman)

6. Even after the booking has been confirmed by the shipping line, we’re experiencing late changes to schedules and vessel names, late changes for loading dates from our facility (if the vessel arrival time is delayed outside the 5-day window), and on occasions departure date changes, where shipments have been ‘rolled’ even when there was a confirmed booking on a specific vessel.

7. Carriers have been including late additional stops into their routes, which can extend shipping transit times.

Our Commitment to You

Crown’s teams are working with airlines, shipping lines and authorities to minimise disruption wherever possible. We commit to being transparent with our customers, always work in their best interests, set realistic expectations and keep them informed to the best of our ability.

Please reach out if you need guidance or support.

We are here to help.

Crown Relocations
Your trusted partner in the region

+971 800 27696 / +971 (0)4 230 5300
[email protected]
[email protected]

*This information is accurate as of 23 July 2026. Shipping conditions in the region continue to evolve, and operational details may change as carriers and authorities update their protocols. Please reach out to our dedicated Move Managers for the most up-to-date information.