When sea routes shut down, the Gulf turned to land. Here’s how food and medicine are still getting through.
As the war in the Gulf disrupts one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors, global logistics giant Maersk is racing to keep essential goods moving—by land.
With traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reduced to a near standstill following Iranian strikes and heightened security risks, traditional maritime supply chains have been severely disrupted. In response, Maersk has activated and expanded a “land-bridge” network across the region to ensure the continued delivery of food and medical supplies.
The system is both improvised and strategic.
Cargo is rerouted through key regional ports—Jeddah, Salalah, Sohar, and Khor Fakkan—before being transported overland to destinations across the Gulf. These alternative routes, some of which were developed during earlier disruptions in the Red Sea, are now operating at significantly higher capacity.
The scale of the shift is striking.
Maersk reports that cargo volumes into Jeddah alone have surged by 40 percent since the conflict began. The company, which previously handled around 35,000 containers weekly in and out of the Gulf, is now channeling much of that volume through land-based logistics corridors.
For now, the focus is clear: prioritize survival goods.
Food and medicines—especially temperature-sensitive shipments like chilled and frozen products—are being fast-tracked through the network. Governments across the Gulf Cooperation Council have coordinated with logistics providers to introduce “green lane” procedures, streamlining customs and border processing to reduce delays.
The urgency reflects a deeper vulnerability.
Gulf countries import up to 85 percent of their food, making them heavily dependent on uninterrupted supply chains. Any prolonged disruption risks not only price increases but also shortages of critical goods.
So far, Maersk says there is still spare capacity in these alternative routes. But that margin may not last.
The cost of keeping goods moving is rising sharply. Higher fuel prices, increased insurance premiums, and the added complexity of multimodal transport are driving up logistics expenses—costs that are likely to be passed on to consumers.
And the situation remains fluid.
Security conditions could force further route adjustments, while any escalation in the conflict could strain even these backup systems. What was once a contingency plan is now a primary lifeline.
The broader lesson is clear.
Modern supply chains are resilient—but only to a point. When a chokepoint like Hormuz falters, the entire system must adapt in real time. And while land corridors can temporarily bridge the gap, they come with limits—both in capacity and cost.
For now, the Gulf is still being fed.
But the longer the disruption continues, the harder—and more expensive—it will become to keep that lifeline intact.
