Starting May 10, the company will introduce the Europe-Red Sea-Middle East Express, a route designed to avoid transit through the strategic waterway by utilizing overland truck transport across Saudi Arabia, News.Az reports, citing AGBI.
The service will originate in Antwerp, call at strategic European ports, and transit the Suez Canal to reach King Abdullah Port in Jeddah and the port of Aqaba in Jordan. From there, MSC will use trucks to transport cargo to Dammam on Saudi Arabia’s east coast, while feeder vessels will connect to other regional destinations including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait.
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This move follows similar logistical adjustments in the region, such as Saudi Arabia Railways’ expansion of container train services and new logistics routes aimed at enhancing supply-chain efficiency. These measures come as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the US and Iran continues to impede 20 percent of global oil and gas flows and disrupt international supply chains.
