Inchcape Shipping Services issued a Middle East Port Advisory at 11:00 UAE time on 3 March 2026 confirming that all Emirati commercial ports remain operational but subject to tightened International Ship & Port Facility Security (ISPS) protocols. Ruwais petroleum terminal is at ISPS Level 2, while Jebel Ali, Dubai Creek, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan stay at Level 1 with enhanced gate screening. Although cargo flows continue, crew mobility is heavily curtailed. Seafarer changes in Abu Dhabi are “restricted”, and at other UAE ports are limited to guarded transfers between ship, hotel and airport. With civilian airspace still officially closed, most relief crews cannot enter the country; operators are therefore extending on-board contracts or rerouting exchanges via Muscat and Colombo. Maritime HR managers must also contend with visa bottlenecks: seaman-visa issuance is on hold in Qatar and Bahrain and only selectively available in the UAE. Insurance clauses covering “war-like operations” are now being invoked, raising day-rate costs for tankers calling at Emirati terminals. Logistics analysts warn that prolonged crew-change restrictions could erode the UAE’s competitive edge as a crew-rotation hub just as it works to attract more blue-economy investment. However, the ports’ ability to keep cargo flowing during an air-space blackout underlines the resilience of the country’s multimodal infrastructure. Shipowners are advised to file crew-list amendments 72 hours in advance and to budget extra days for medical screening and immigration clearance until the aviation grid normalises.
