Since about 1 March 2026 most mainline container ships have stopped transiting the Strait of Hormuz, so cargo booked to Dubai is usually discharged at a port outside the Strait (Khor Fakkan or Fujairah on the UAE east coast, or Sohar in Oman) and then moved by road to Jebel Ali or straight to the consignee, often under customs bond. Expect extra days, extra handling and separate surcharges, and confirm the discharge port with the carrier before you ship.
Status as of our last review on 1 November 2026. The situation changes quickly: check our before you book.
Not for most mainline services: since late February 2026 the Strait has been functionally closed to large container ships, and ports inside it are served mainly by feeders and regional shuttles. Freightos describes the Strait as functionally closed since the end of February, and public trackers such as straits.live show daily transits far below pre-crisis levels.
Period (2026)
What happened
Effect on Dubai-bound cargo
End of February – early March
Mainline carriers stop transiting Hormuz after the regional conflict begins
Ships discharge at the first accessible port; schedules break
8 March
Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026 allows bonded trucking from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to Jebel Ali
Sea plus bonded road becomes the standard route into Dubai
March – May
The Dubai–Oman green corridor through Hatta scales up; a Sharjah–Oman corridor via Khatmat Malaha and Al Madam opens in May
Omani ports such as Sohar become practical gateways
Mid-June
A short-lived understanding lets some ships through
Brief, partial relief
From mid-July
Closure conditions return
Diversions continue
Which ports are carriers using instead of Jebel Ali?
Carriers mostly use Khor Fakkan and Fujairah on the UAE east coast and Sohar in Oman, because all three sit outside the Strait. Freightos also reports Gulf-bound cargo being transshipped at Indian west-coast ports and brought in by feeder to accessible ports in Oman and the UAE.
Port (UN/LOCODE)
Location
How cargo reaches Dubai
What to watch
Khor Fakkan (AEKLF)
Sharjah, UAE east coast
Bonded truck to Jebel Ali under Notice 03/2026, or import clearance and local delivery
Longest median anchorage wait in early August 2026
Sohar (OMSOH)
Oman, Gulf of Oman coast
Truck into the UAE through the Hatta border crossing
Two customs administrations and border queues
Waiting times move week to week. In the first week of August 2026, Nautica Post reported median anchorage waits of about 9.25 days at Fujairah, 4.81 days at Khor Fakkan and 4.55 days at Sohar. Treat these as a snapshot, not a forecast.
How does cargo get from the east-coast port to Dubai?
Most Dubai-bound containers now finish their journey by truck: under Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026, containers discharged at Khor Fakkan or Fujairah can move to Jebel Ali in bond, and the bill of lading keeps Jebel Ali as the final destination, as summarised by law firm Al Tamimi & Company. In practice we see three patterns:
Carrier-arranged bonded trucking to Jebel Ali. The carrier moves the box under bond and adds a contingency trucking surcharge. Emirates Line, for example, announced USD 1,250 per container for Khor Fakkan to Jebel Ali in April 2026; other carriers charge differently.
Merchant-arranged trucking. Your forwarder books the truck (bonded or after import clearance) and you pay the haulier directly. This can be faster when carrier trucks are scarce, but the paperwork and the container return become your responsibility.
Clearance at the discharge port. If the consignee is in Sharjah or the northern emirates, it can make sense to clear at the east-coast port and deliver directly, skipping Jebel Ali altogether.
Plan for the sea leg plus anchorage waiting plus one to several days for trucking and gate queues, and treat the total as a range rather than a date. Freightos reported waits of 7–10 days at some UAE ports during peak vessel bunching. The road leg from Khor Fakkan or Fujairah to Jebel Ali is only a few hours of driving, but truck shortages, border formalities from Sohar and queues at the Jebel Ali gates can add days. Always ask the carrier for its latest estimate and check it again on arrival.
What extra charges can appear on a diverted shipment?
Expect several surcharges that did not exist before 2026, and insist that each appears as a separate line with a reason and a valid-until date, as Xeneta also advises shippers.
Charge
Usually raised by
Indicative level reported (verify before booking)
War-risk or emergency risk surcharge
Ocean carrier
USD 2,000–4,000 per TEU (Xeneta, March 2026)
Emergency fuel surcharge
Ocean carrier
USD 200–500 per container (Freightos)
Contingency trucking to Jebel Ali
Carrier or haulier
Example: USD 1,250 per container, Khor Fakkan to Jebel Ali (Emirates Line, April 2026)
Terminal handling and storage at the discharge port
Base freight also swung sharply: Freightos reported Shanghai to Jebel Ali rates moving from under USD 2,000 to above USD 8,000 per container at the peak, and Xeneta (quoted by The National) measured China to Khor Fakkan rates up about 300%. Any rate is valid only for the date and validity period quoted.
What should importers confirm before booking?
Confirm five things in writing before the cargo leaves China, India or any other origin:
Discharge port and final destination on the bill of lading (Jebel Ali, or Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar).
Who arranges and pays the onward truck, carrier or merchant haulage, and the exact surcharge.
When free time starts and where the empty must be returned, because return depots have changed during the crisis.
Whether your cargo insurance covers war risk for this voyage.
Documents ready early: commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin, so the box does not wait at a congested terminal for paperwork.
What about cargo for Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC?
Cargo for ports inside the Strait, such as Umm Qasr, Dammam, Shuwaikh or Khalifa Bin Salman, now relies on feeders, regional shuttles or road links. Gulftainer launched a UAE–Umm Qasr feeder in July 2026, and overland GCC trucking from the UAE and Oman has become mainstream: according to The National, customs declarations on the Dubai–Oman green corridor rose from about 12,000 in March to nearly 100,000 the following month. Nautica Post also reported in August 2026 that MSC stopped accepting cargo transiting Jeddah unless its final destination is in Saudi Arabia, so the via-Jeddah workaround is not open with every carrier. See shipping from China to Iraq and our UAE to GCC lane.
A note on Iran: on 19 August 2026 the UAE halted all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice (UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Our Iran lanes are suspended and we are not accepting requests for them.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Strait of Hormuz open to container ships in November 2026?
As of our last review on 1 November 2026, most mainline container services were still not transiting the Strait, and ports inside it were served mainly by feeders and shuttles. Check our lane status board for the latest position before booking.
Can my bill of lading still show Jebel Ali if the ship discharges at Khor Fakkan or Fujairah?
Under Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026, as summarised by Al Tamimi & Company, containers discharged at Khor Fakkan or Fujairah can be trucked in bond to Jebel Ali with Jebel Ali kept as the final destination. Confirm with your carrier how its own bill of lading and trucking are set up.
Which is better for Dubai cargo: Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar?
There is no single best port; it depends on the carrier's service, the current anchorage queue and where the consignee is. The carrier usually decides the discharge port, so the practical question is how quickly and at what cost the box can be moved from there.
Who pays for the truck from Khor Fakkan to Jebel Ali?
Usually the cargo owner, either as a carrier contingency trucking surcharge or as a haulage charge arranged by the forwarder. It should appear as a separate line in your quote with its amount and validity.
Does the Hormuz disruption also affect cargo for Iraq and Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Ports inside the Strait, including Umm Qasr and Dammam, depend on feeders, shuttles or road links, so transit times and surcharges change often. Ask for route options and a dated quote for each.
Sources
Official and primary sources used for this page. Rules change, so check the source for the latest version.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules and rates change; confirm the requirements for your shipment with your coordinator or the relevant authority.
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