Container shipping company MSC has announced a new service to the Persian Gulf that avoids the Strait of Hormuz. The first ship will depart from Antwerp on 10 May and call at several other European ports.
Home News
New shipping route from Antwerp to the Persian Gulf: ‘Safe alternative to the Strait of Hormuz’
Colin Clapson
Published:
Updated:
Due to the conflict between Iran and the United States, the vital Strait of Hormuz is virtually completely blocked. As a result, freight transport by ship to countries in the Persian Gulf has been severely disrupted.
Consequently, from next week, the international shipping company MSC will offer a transport service whereby ships will sail via European ports to the Red Sea. From there, freight transport will continue by land. The first ship will depart from the port of Antwerp on 10 May.
Final leg by lorry
The new shipping route leads to the Saudi port cities of Jeddah and King Abdullah City on the Red Sea coast.
From there, customers can have goods transported by lorry to the Saudi port city of Dammam, which lies over 1,300 kilometres away on the Persian Gulf.
MSC plans to deploy smaller cargo ships from there to key ports in, for example, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.
“This is the third alternative route we are offering,” says Marc Beerlandt, CEO of MSC Belgium. One ship will sail the route every week. “It may take slightly longer than via the Strait of Hormuz, but it is a safe alternative.”
Beerlandt emphasises how important it is to keep looking for alternatives. "Normally, more than 150,000 containers are shipped to the Gulf every week. These are vital for meeting the basic needs of the people there."