With the ongoing Iran war affecting the trade flow in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced the opening of a new Europe-Red Sea-Middle East express service, linking key European ports with Saudi Arabia and other regional hubs.
The announcement will likely provide relief to global supply chain players, as they respond to surging demand and mounting disruption across Middle Eastern trade routes. The Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles about a fifth of global oil trade, has been choked since February 2026, as both the United States and Iran use the vital water route as geopolitical leverage in the absence of a permanent ceasefire.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy flows through Hormuz have fallen by around 10.1 million barrels per day, the largest recorded disruption in modern energy markets. Products like agricultural goods and petrochemicals have also met a similar fate.
Calling its new service a faster, more efficient and multimodal alternative, MSC said that ships sailing from the Baltic Sea and across Europe will be directly connected to Jordan’s Aqaba, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Port and Jeddah via the Suez Canal.
“Ships from European ports, including Gdansk, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Valencia, Barcelona, and Gioia Tauro, will call at Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea. Cargo will then be trucked to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam for feeder shipment to Gulf destinations, with a capacity of up to 16,000 standard containers. All European origins, from NWC-Scan Baltic to West Med Adriatic and East Med Black Sea, will be served through MSC’s capillary network of service,” MSC remarked.
The first vessel under this new service is scheduled to depart from Antwerp on 10th May.
MSC’s sea-land corridor is set to redefine global shipping and logistics strategies, rather than serving as a temporary solution to a crisis. If access to the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted, this new route will become essential for maintaining trade in the Gulf. Conversely, if the Strait reopens, this alternative route will serve as a valuable method for risk diversification. Additionally, the new route aligns with Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to establish the Kingdom as a central global logistics hub.