REF: T360-OPS-2026-RT02 | ISSUED: 05 JUN 2026 · DAMMAM, KSA
Most-common ocean routings from King Abdulaziz Port (Dammam), with indicative transit times, chokepoints, and live status. Companion to the Jeddah outbound sheet.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ — UNIVERSAL. Dammam is an Arabian Gulf port: every route below transits Hormuz first. It is the one chokepoint shared by all four regions and carries a standing geopolitical-risk premium.
A — Common Routings by Region
| Region | Typical Lane | Routing & Chokepoints | Transit (Indic.) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASIA — India / Pakistan (Nhava Sheva, Mundra) | India / Pakistan | Hormuz → Gulf of Oman → Arabian Sea | 5–8 days | Stable |
| ASIA — Far East (China, Korea, SE Asia) | Far East | Hormuz → Indian Ocean → Malacca → S. China Sea | 18–24 days | Stable |
| USA — East / Gulf Coast (Houston, Savannah, NY) | East / Gulf Coast | Hormuz → Bab el-Mandeb → Suez → Med → Gibraltar → Atlantic | 28–35 days (+7–14 via Cape) | Rerouted (Cape) |
| USA — West Coast (LA / Long Beach) | West Coast | via Asian transship → Trans-Pacific (minority routing) | 30–40 days | Indirect |
| EUROPE — Mediterranean (Genoa, Barcelona, Piraeus) | Mediterranean | Hormuz → Bab el-Mandeb → Suez → Med | 14–18 days (+10–14 via Cape) | Rerouted (Cape) |
| EUROPE — North Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp) | North Europe | … → Gibraltar → English Channel → N. Sea | 18–24 days (+10–14 via Cape) | Rerouted (Cape) |
| AFRICA — East Africa (Djibouti, Mombasa, Dar) | East Africa | Hormuz → Arabian Sea → E. African coast | 7–12 days | Stable |
| AFRICA — North Africa / Egypt (Sokhna, Alexandria) | North Africa / Egypt | Hormuz → Bab el-Mandeb → Red Sea (→ Suez for Med side) | 8–14 days | Elevated |
| AFRICA — South Africa (Durban, Cape Town) | South Africa | Hormuz → Indian Ocean → south | 18–22 days | Stable |
| AFRICA — West Africa (Lagos, Tema, Abidjan) | West Africa | Hormuz → Suez → Med → Gibraltar → Atlantic coast (or via Cape) | 25–32 days | Rerouted (Cape) |
B — Chokepoint Exposure: Tiered
Tier 1 · Cleanest
Hormuz is effectively the only chokepoint. Most predictable transit & pricing.
Regions: India · East Africa · South Africa | Chokepoints: Hormuz
Tier 2 · Eastbound
Adds Malacca, but no Red Sea exposure. Stable, longer transit.
Regions: China / Far East | Chokepoints: Hormuz + Malacca
Tier 3 · Westbound
Stacks Bab el-Mandeb + Suez (+ Gibraltar). Most disrupted; price war-risk & Cape delay.
Regions: Europe · USA · N./W. Africa | Chokepoints: Hormuz + Bab el-Mandeb + Suez (+ Gibraltar)
What This Means for Quoting Dammam
Hormuz is the universal exposure — every Dammam lane carries the same standing Gulf-transit / geopolitical premium before any regional risk is added.
Westbound lanes (Europe, USA, N./W. Africa) stack the Red Sea on top. These are the lanes still rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope in 2026 — build in the +7–14 day transit and war-risk / insurance surcharges.
Eastbound and East/South Africa lanes are far cleaner (Hormuz, plus Malacca for the Far East) and quote tighter.
Note: much Dammam cargo feeders to a hub (Jebel Ali, Khor Fakkan, Salalah, Colombo, Singapore, Port Said / Tanger Med) before joining the mainline — that transshipment leg is where most transit-time variability sits.
Transit times are indicative door-agnostic port-to-port estimates and vary by carrier, service string & transshipment; status reflects mid-2026 conditions. Confirm live routing & surcharges before quoting.
TAAF 360 LOGISTICS · DAMMAM · info@taaf360.com · +966 13 815 2040
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