Port congestion in the United Arab Emirates remains elevated, with Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and Sajaa, Sharjah facing significant operational delays. Pressure is also spreading beyond vessel operations, with longer terminal transfer and cargo dwell times affecting supply chains across the UAE.
As of 30 October 2026, Khor Fakkan is heavily congested, with a growing number of vessels waiting at anchor. Average vessel waiting time has reached 7.25 days. Over the past 30 days, vessels calling at the port have arrived an average of 7.4 days behind schedule and departed 5.7 days late.
Fujairah is also experiencing substantial delays. Over the past seven days, average container vessel waiting time has reached 8.86 days, while vessels have arrived an average of 7.58 days behind schedule and departed 7.65 days late. These figures indicate significant pressure on vessel operations at the port.
Restrictions remain in place on the discharge of foreign cargo, dangerous goods and special equipment. At the same time, cargo volumes diverted from other regional hubs are adding further pressure on terminal operations, while landside dwell times are increasing.
Operational pressure extending beyond the ports
The disruption is increasingly affecting cargo movements beyond the quay. Terminal transfers from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to Jebel Ali, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are experiencing substantially longer dwell times. Transfer times that were previously around five days have increased to approximately 12–15 days.
These extended dwell times are adding pressure to already constrained yard capacity and further challenging the movement of cargo through the UAE logistics network.
Carriers adjust capacity, but no broad omissions yet
Some carriers are reducing allocations for Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and Sharjah in response to the congestion. However, there are currently no widespread direct port omissions or alternative gateways being actively pushed by carriers.
With alternative carrier gateway solutions proving challenging, demand for established alternative transport options, including Kuehne+Nagel Landbridge solutions, is increasing.
Further deterioration expected
The situation is expected to worsen over the coming weeks as strong Middle East demand continues and alternative gateways struggle to absorb additional cargo volumes.
Demand into the Middle East remains exceptionally strong, with precautionary inventory building adding to pressure on available capacity. The combination of high cargo volumes, constrained yard capacity and extended transfer times is likely to continue affecting schedule reliability.
Sharjah is also heavily congested. As of 30 October, vessels are waiting approximately three days for a berth, while average arrival and departure delays have both exceeded four days over the past 30 days.
Recommendations for shippers
Kuehne+Nagel recommends to diversify both carrier and gateway usage rather than relying on a single routing option.
Where suitable, alternative gateways such as Salalah and Duqm should be considered. Significant trucking capacity is currently available from these locations, providing an opportunity to diversify cargo flows and help maintain greater supply chain stability.
Given the rapidly evolving operating environment, additional lead time should also be factored into shipment planning.
The continued congestion at Khor Fakkan and Sharjah, together with longer inland and terminal transfer times, should be taken into consideration when planning shipments through the UAE.
