Maersk Halts Gulf Bookings Amid Middle East Tensions

2026-03-07 01:57:41

(MENAFN) Maersk, one of the world’s foremost container shipping giants, has temporarily frozen cargo bookings to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, and Oman, the Denmark-based company announced Wednesday.

The shipping titan issued a written statement outlining its operational response to the deteriorating security landscape across the Middle East in the wake of the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

“We are taking operational measure to ensure the safety of our personnel, safeguard your cargo, and maintain service stability across affected trades in the Middle East,” the company stated.

The booking suspension compounds an earlier restriction Maersk imposed on March 1, when it indefinitely halted all vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint through which approximately a fifth of the world’s daily oil supply flows.

Wednesday’s sweeping booking freeze signals a sharp escalation in Maersk’s risk posture, effectively cutting off sea freight access to seven Gulf nations as regional tensions continue to mount.

MENAFN05032026000045017169ID1110820793

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

2 Likes