Gulf region importers and shipping companies are adopting alternative land and sea routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz [1, 2].
This shift comes as escalating tensions between Iran and Israel increase the risk of a maritime blockade. Because the strait is a critical chokepoint for global energy and essential goods, any prolonged closure could trigger severe supply chain disruptions and price spikes across the region [3, 4].
Major logistics firms are already adjusting their operations. Charles van der Steen, regional director for A.P. Moller-Maersk, said that alternative land routes remain capable of transporting food and medicine [1]. These overland corridors allow critical supplies to move across borders, reducing the reliance on the volatile waterway.
Industry reports from March 2026 indicate that importers across the Gulf are accelerating efforts to secure these alternative paths for vital goods [2]. The urgency is driven by the strategic importance of the strait, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil passes [3].
Shipping companies are evaluating a mix of regional port diversions and trucking networks to maintain stability. The transition to land-based logistics is particularly focused on high-priority cargo, such as pharmaceuticals and perishable foods, that cannot withstand long delays [1, 2].
While sea-based alternatives are being explored, the scale of the Strait of Hormuz's traffic makes a full transition difficult. The current strategy focuses on risk mitigation rather than a total abandonment of the route, ensuring that the most critical supplies have a fallback option if the waterway is closed [1, 4].
“Alternative land routes remain capable of transporting food and medicine”
The pivot toward land corridors represents a strategic hedge against geopolitical instability. By diversifying logistics, Gulf nations are attempting to decouple their essential food and medical security from the volatile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz, though the global oil market remains highly vulnerable due to the lack of high-capacity alternatives for crude shipments.
