en.Wedoany.com Reported - Hapag-Lloyd has suspended accepting bookings for cargo destined for the port of Jeddah, as a surge in goods transiting via the Gulf land bridge has exacerbated port congestion. Freight forwarders told The Loadstar that truck queues waiting to enter the port have stretched approximately five kilometers.
Despite an agreement between Iran, the United States, and Israel to suspend hostilities and seek a negotiated end to the conflict that erupted in February this year, demand for land bridge transport via Jeddah has not subsided. This land bridge solution, once hailed as a regional logistics "savior," is now operating under such high pressure that yard density at Jeddah port has climbed to 90%, with port operational efficiency dropping 20% to 25% below normal levels. Hapag-Lloyd has informed customers that its "transport solution via Jeddah to the Upper Gulf is no longer available until further notice."
For customers who have already booked vessels bound for Jeddah intending to use the land bridge service, if the bill of lading's final destination is not Jeddah, their cargo will be discharged at other ports. Port authorities are making every effort to reduce the volume of containers stored in the terminal. Containers with a final destination of Saudi Arabia can still be unloaded in Jeddah and transported via the existing land bridge, but authorities emphasize the severity of the congestion, with truck drivers reporting waiting times of six to eight weeks for clearance.
A freight forwarder told The Loadstar: "For weeks, we have been advising active clients to avoid the Red Sea route and instead use Arabian Sea services (via ports like Salalah, Khor Fakkan, and Sharjah)." "This advice is being actively followed, so this news of suspended bookings serves more as intelligence, especially when discussing the region and viable options with new clients."
Freight forwarders told The Loadstar that the terminal has become "extremely congested," partly due to "seasonal cargo peaks in the region related to the Hajj pilgrimage," and also because of a large volume of transshipment cargo attempting to bypass shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. One forwarder noted that the administrative procedures for customs clearance and cargo release involving shipping lines and ports are also overwhelmed by the massive backlog.
Video footage provided by a transport company shows trucks queuing outside the terminal to pick up and return containers. The company stated that the queue is approximately five kilometers long, forcing trucks to wait about three days to pass through the gate.
Other carriers are also dealing with the situation. Maersk has informed customers that cargo will be transshipped via Khor Fakkan and Salalah, then connected via land bridge to Sharjah and its intra-Gulf feeder network for final delivery to Gulf destinations.
