UAE port congestion lengthens container transfers from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah

Kuehne+Nagel reports longer container transfers from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to Jebel Ali, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Maritime trade publication SeaNews reported continuing congestion at UAE gateways on 8 November 2026. Kuehne+Nagel data as of 30 October put average vessel waiting time at 7.25 days in Khor Fakkan. In Fujairah, container ships waited an average of 8.86 days over the seven days covered. The same report said terminal transfers from the two ports to Jebel Ali, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi had risen from around five days to roughly 12–15 days. These figures describe the reporting period.

In its 6 November update, Maersk announced a temporary pause on landside bookings on selected routes, including from Salalah and Sohar to the UAE. The same notice lists inland options from Khor Fakkan and Fujairah within the UAE, subject to capacity and shipment conditions.

News and photo sources

Kuehne+Nagel / seaexplorer · Maersk · 6 Nov 2026 · SeaNews · 8 Nov 2026

Archive photograph, 7 April 2017, resized · Iwona Rege / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Before confirming a booking

For cargo routed through the UAE, ask the carrier for separate estimates for discharge, inland transfer and final delivery. Confirm the empty return location, free time and transfer charges in writing. For refrigerated or dangerous goods, confirm acceptance for the specific cargo and routing before booking.