To: All Pentagon Clients
From: Middle East & India Management Team
Date: 23 July 2026
Subject: Global Customer Advisory – Middle East Supply Chain Impact: Gateway Status & Operational Guidance
Dear Valued Customer,
Following our previous communications, we are providing a further update on global air and ocean supply chains linked to the Middle East. Subject update focuses on the operational status of the region’s main air and sea gateways and what it means for your shipments.
In short: the ocean environment has deteriorated sharply since our last update, the Strait of Hormuz is effectively unusable for scheduled services, and air capacity remains uneven across the region’s hub airports.
Air Freight – Gateway Status
Middle Eastern carriers had progressively restored operations through Q2 2026, with freighter capacity approaching pre-crisis levels. That recovery has since been uneven, with capacity concentrated on UAE and Qatar based carriers while several long-haul foreign carriers remain suspended.
| Gateway | Status | Logistics Impact |
| Dubai (DXB / DWC) | Operational -UAE carriers | Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia are running most of their global network; 13 foreign carriers (incl. British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa Group) remain suspended into Aug-Oct. Dubai-Kuwait sector cancelled through 21 July. Net effect: fewer interline options and higher rates on the capacity that remains. |
| Abu Dhabi (AUH) | Operational -Etihad, restricted for others | Etihad continues to serve ~80 destinations; AUH-Kuwait cancelled through 24 Jul; several foreign carriers suspended into October. Expect rebooking backlogs on affected city pairs. |
| Sharjah (SHJ) | Operational – Air Arabia | Sharjah-Kuwait services cancelled. |
| Doha (DOH) | Operational -reduced frequencies | Qatar Airways still serving its global network, but frequencies trimmed on several routes; Kuwait and Bahrain route suspended. Expect longer connection times for cargo transiting DOH. |
| Kuwait (KWI) | Restricted | Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways have all cancelled flights into/out of Kuwait through at least 24 July. Minimal scheduled belly/freighter capacity route via an alternate GCC gateway and trucking. |
| Bahrain (BAH) | Restricted, intermittent closures | Airport briefly closed 16 July and has reopened, but carriers continue cancelling flights day-to-day. Unreliable schedule; confirm flight-by-flight before committing cargo. |
| Muscat (MCT) | Open, narrow carrier choice | Currently reported limited Airline options Usable as an overflow gateway, but capacity is thin. |
| Saudi Arabia (DMM / RUH / JED) | Open domestically, reduced internationally | Saudia operating normally; several foreign carriers have suspended or cut back Riyadh/Jeddah/Dammam service into October. Forwarders are increasingly using Jeddah as a sea freight alternative rather than an air gateway. |
| Iraq (BGW / EBL / BSR) | Minimal international service | Iraqi Airways is running a phased domestic restart plus a few international links (Istanbul, Cairo, Amman). Not currently a viable air gateway for regional cargo. |
Logistics takeaways – Air
- Book on UAE- and Qatar-based carriers (Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways) where possible; several major foreign carriers remain suspended on Gulf routes into August-October.
- Kuwait and Bahrain currently offer the least reliable air capacity, confirm every booking flight-by-flight and hold contingency routing via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha.
- Fuel costs and emergency/security surcharges remain elevated across all carriers, and cost normalization continues to lag behind any capacity recovery.
Ocean Freight – Gateway Status
The Strait of Hormuz remains the central bottleneck for the region. Weekly vessel transits have fallen by roughly two-thirds versus pre-escalation levels, and mainstream carriers continue to route cargo around rather than through the Strait.
| Gateway | Status | Logistics Impact |
| Strait of Hormuz (transit corridor) | Effectively closed | IMO advises against transit. Treat as non-navigable for scheduled services. |
| Jebel Ali / Khalifa / Sharjah (UAE, upper Gulf) | Operational, backlogged | Jebel Ali is carrying a significant backlog despite improving flow. Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi) is increasingly used as the primary reroute hub, with carriers building multi-modal routings via Khalifa. Khalifa is currently the more resilient upper-Gulf option. |
| Khor Fakkan / Fujairah (UAE, Gulf of Oman side) | Operational, congested | Absorbing a large share of diverted cargo; berthing delays of a month or more reported for breakbulk/bulk/general cargo/Ro-Ro. Consider in a 3-4 weeks buffer; onward trucking to Jebel Ali rates are unstable driven by congestion and documentation delays. |
| Jeddah / King Abdullah Port (Saudi Red Sea) | Operational, severely congested | Landside dwell of 10-12 days post-discharge; carriers are increasingly discharging non-Saudi-bound cargo at alternate ports rather than relying on the Jeddah land bridge. |
| Dammam (Saudi Arabia, Gulf side) | Operational | No significant containerised congestion currently reported; increasingly used as an onward feeder point from Jeddah/King Abdullah Port. |
| Sohar / Salalah (Oman) | Operational, mixed | Sohar remains constrained; Salalah is under pressure but remains the strongest Arabian Sea alternative for Oman routing, and a good option for cargo that can avoid the Strait entirely. |
| Kuwait / Qatar / Bahrain ports | Operational, case-by-case | Direct and feeder calls continue but are subject to case-by-case carrier validation, with limitation to DG and OOG cargo bookings. |
| Egypt / Lebanon / East Mediterranean ports | Operational | Less exposed to Hormuz risk, though still affected by wider Red Sea routing and schedule changes. A useful, largely unaffected alternate gateway via the Mediterranean. |
Logistics takeaways – Ocean
- Treat the Strait of Hormuz as closed for planning purposes. Routing available via Khalifa Port, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar, or Salalah instead of scheduling direct upper-Gulf calls.
- Berthing waits of 3-4 weeks are being reported at Khor Fakkan/Fujairah/Jeddah, and 10-12 days landside dwell at Jeddah.
- Jeddah land bridge for upper-Gulf bound cargo is facing challenges; discharge and forward via Khor Fakkan, Sharjah, or Salalah direct present more reliable options.
- Freight costs on diverted lanes have risen materially, industry reporting cites increases of four to six times on some routes and war risk insurance continues to reprice at short notice. Inland transfer costs between alternate ports (e.g., Khor Fakkan to Jebel Ali) have also risen due to congestion and documentation delays.
Operational Impact and Ripple Effects
- Continued congestion across alternative hubs (Khalifa, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Jeddah, KAP)
- Feeder and inland bottlenecks, with a mismatch between vessel volumes and the handling capacity of smaller alternate ports
- Ground capacity in Qatar reduced by driver entry restrictions; Bahrain’s free zone open but appointment only, with LTL delays
- Customs and clearance remain constrained in Bahrain, Kuwait, and parts of the UAE; Oman, Jordan, and Egypt continue to clear with minimal delay
- Rising costs for alternative routings and continued schedule disruption and equipment imbalance region wide
What This Means for Your Shipments
- Plan on the Strait of Hormuz being unusable for scheduled ocean services for the foreseeable future
- Build minimum 3-4 weeks buffers into routings via Khor Fakkan/Fujairah, and expect 10+ day dwell at Jeddah
- Expect continued air capacity gaps on Kuwait and Bahrain routings specifically, alongside broader Gulf surcharges and fuel-cost pressure
- Budget for materially higher freight and insurance costs on diverted lanes until mainstream carriers resume direct Gulf/Hormuz calls
- High volatility remains the baseline, routings and gateway status can change with very short notice
Pentagon Guidance and Support
Pentagon remains fully mobilized globally to support your operations:
- Securing air capacity across the region’s operating gateways
- Managing ocean shipments via Khalifa Port, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar, and Salalah in place of direct Hormuz transits
- Monitoring gateway by gateway status in real time through direct carrier and terminal engagement
- Supporting contingency planning and routing adjustments as conditions change
We recommend that customers:
- Book early and plan proactively
- Maintain flexibility on routing and transport mode
- Share updated forecasts regularly
- Review insurance coverage, including war risk provisions
- Stay in close coordination with Pentagon teams
Pentagon will continue to monitor developments closely and provide further updates.
Your supply chain continuity and the safety of our people remain our top priorities.
Yours Sincerely,
Pentagon Middle East & India Management Team.