Gulf Bulk Vessel Congestion Rises as Fujairah Accounts for 28 Percent

Commercial vessel congestion across 29 monitored ports in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman climbed to 265 dry bulk vessels as of late October 2026, according to tracking data from The Signal Group reported by Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide. The Port of Fujairah in the UAE registered the largest concentration with 74 waiting vessels, representing 28 percent of the regional total, followed by Oman's Port of Sohar with 50 vessels.

Regional bulk carrier waiting was running 75 percent higher than in the same period in 2025, averaging 268 vessels between 1 and 27 October, compared with 154 in 2025 and 139 in 2024. Protracted idling outside the Strait of Hormuz has reduced prompt dry-bulk tonnage availability on major trading lanes linking Gulf terminals with Chinese industrial ports.

Supramax bulkers constituted the largest waiting segment across the region at 107 vessels, with 37 stationed at Fujairah. Supramaxes accounted for 50 percent of Fujairah's waiting dry bulk fleet and almost 35 percent of all idle Supramaxes across the 29 regional ports.

Activity data showed that non-cargo stop calls dominated vessel accumulation at Fujairah. Of the 74 waiting vessels at the port, 48 were classified as stop calls, while 22 were waiting to discharge and four to load, contrasting with wider regional patterns where cargo discharge accounted for the majority of waiting vessels.