MSC will launch new line connecting Europe with ports in the Persian Gulf; the ships will reach Saudi Arabia's west coast from Europe via the Suez Canal; the goods will be transported by trucks to kingdom's east coast and then by small ships to Gulf portsCalcalist| Related TopicsThe world’s largest container shipping company is trying to bypass the blocked Strait of Hormuz: MSC is planning a new service linking Europe with isolated ports in the Middle East, using trucks in Saudi Arabia and smaller vessels in the Persian Gulf, Bloomberg reported.According to a post published by the company on Thursday, the first sailing will depart Antwerp on May 10 and include stops in Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Spain. The ships will cross the Suez Canal into the Red Sea and stop at two ports on Saudi Arabia’s western coast — Jeddah and King Abdullah Port.1 View gallery MSC shipping will bypass the blocked Strait of HormuzFrom there, trucks will be used to reach the city of Dammam on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast, where smaller feeder ships will transfer the goods to regional ports, including Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali in Dubai. Both cities have large industrial zones with hundreds of international companies that had relied on cargo arriving through Hormuz. The distance between Jeddah and Dammam, a route that passes through the capital Riyadh, is about 1,300 kilometers.A new connection between Europe, the Red Sea and the Middle East ⚓🚢MSC is launching the Europe – Red Sea – Middle East Express, designed to meet growing demand and provide reliable, efficient connections in a complex operating environment.The service connects key European… pic.twitter.com/qQqnPRZosh— MSC Cargo (@MSCCargo) May 2, 2026 In March, German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd — which purchased Israel’s ZIM — said it would operate land transport routes in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Denmark’s Maersk also announced land-based solutions for cargo in the region.Comments