Ocean carriers are diverting stranded cargo into Middle East road and rail networks, straining infrastructure not designed for such volumes, reports London's S&P Global.

CMA CGM has joined Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, Ocean Network Express and Zim in deploying road, rail and feeder services to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, closed by the US-Iran war. Hapag-Lloyd said longer cross-country trucking distances are adding pressure.

Crane Worldwide Logistics noted growing customs delays and shortages across Oman, Fujairah and Saudi corridors. DHL Global Forwarding reported congestion at ports such as Khor Fakkan, where ships face delays of more than 10 days and long truck queues.

CMA CGM is offering alternative transport solutions linking the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan via ports including Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar and Jeddah. The carrier is using logistics corridors to connect Gulf hubs with regional road and maritime transport.

Maersk said it is using Salalah and Khor Fakkan for eastbound cargo and Jeddah for European shipments, deploying trucks across the Arabian Peninsula. Other carriers, including MSC and Yang Ming, have declared "end of voyage" for Persian Gulf-bound cargo, leaving responsibility with shippers once containers are offloaded.

Global forwarders such as Kuehne + Nagel, DHL, Crane and DSV are also relying heavily on road freight to move goods between Middle East consumer markets. The shift underscores the vulnerability of Gulf economies that import more than 90 per cent of their products.