Gulf Congestion: Fujairah Holds 28% of Waiting Bulkers

Gulf anchorage congestion is still elevated more than six months into the Middle East shipping crisis, and Fujairah is carrying the largest share. According to Hellenic Shipping News (29 October 2026), 265 dry bulk vessels were waiting across 29 selected ports as of 28 October, with Fujairah accounting for 74 vessels, or 28%, followed by Sohar.

For ship chandlers, bunker suppliers, port agents and marine service companies, a waiting vessel is not a lost port call. It is a port call with a moving ETA (ETA, the estimated time a vessel will arrive or berth), and the supplier who reaches the right person before the berth window opens usually wins the order.

What happened in the Gulf this week

The congestion reading is the clearest operational signal in this week's shipping news. Hellenic Shipping News reports that waiting remains elevated across the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with dry bulk vessels concentrated at Fujairah and Sohar.

The wider risk picture is not improving. Hellenic Shipping News (29 October 2026) quotes BIMCO shipping analysis manager Filipe Gouveia saying the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains the largest source of uncertainty, while attacks on ships and port infrastructure in the Black Sea have added another layer of risk. BIMCO notes that around 4% of dry bulk trade normally moves through the affected area.

Geopolitical disruptions continue to cloud the dry bulk market outlook. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains the largest source of uncertainty, while attacks on ships and port infrastructure in the Black Sea have added another layer of risk.

That combination explains why so many bulkers are sitting at anchor rather than proceeding. It also explains why their schedules are unstable.

Why waiting vessels still buy

A vessel at anchor is still consuming fuel, fresh water, provisions, spares and crew support. The purchasing decision has simply moved earlier and become less predictable.

• Bunkers: a bulker waiting off Fujairah may take a stem at anchorage or delay until berth. The stem size and timing change with every ETA revision.
• Provisions and stores: chandlers must deliver to the right location, which may be the anchorage by launch rather than the berth.
• Husbandry and agency: agents handle crew changes, cash to master and port formalities, all of which shift when a berth window moves.
• Technical support: a delay is the cheapest moment for a superintendent to book a repair or service attendance.

The common thread is timing. Suppliers who quote once and wait for a reply lose the window. Suppliers who track the vessel and re-quote when the ETA changes keep the conversation alive.

The wider market context

Congestion is not the only force reshaping demand. The Maritime Executive (30 October 2026) reports that political opposition has hit President Donald Trump's deal with Vladimir Putin on supplying extra diesel to the US market, while gCaptain (26 October 2026) reports that a bipartisan group of US lawmakers is warning banks and port authorities against facilitating Russian diesel shipments under the agreement.

For Gulf suppliers, the relevance is straightforward. Product flows are being redirected by politics as well as by price, and redirected flows create new tanker port calls and new stem enquiries. gCaptain (23 October 2026) reported that the first Russian diesel bound for the US under the deal was aboard a tanker heading for New York, according to ship-tracking data.

Elsewhere, capacity is being added. The Maritime Executive (29 October 2026) reports that Morocco has signed a new concession with APM Terminals as it expands container capacity and its role as a transshipment hub serving Europe. The Maritime Executive (29 October 2026) reports that CMA CGM, working with Nike and port operator Gemadept, launched an electric inland waterway barge service in Vietnam. Both point to more scheduled calls and more predictable service demand outside the Gulf.

Ship recycling is steady rather than surging. Hellenic Shipping News (29 October 2026), citing cash buyer Best Oasis, reports that the Indian ship recycling market remains stable on healthy local steel consumption and steady demand for recycled steel.

What it means commercially for service providers

The commercial effect of Gulf congestion is a shift in where and when work is sold. Three changes matter most.

1. Anchorage delivery becomes normal. Suppliers who can serve vessels at anchor, with the right launch arrangements and documentation, win work that berth-only suppliers cannot quote.
2. ETA volatility is the new quoting condition. A stem or stores order quoted against one arrival time may need re-quoting twice. Suppliers who build that into their terms protect margin.
3. Pre-arrival contact matters more, not less. When a vessel may wait days, the supplier who is already in the conversation when the berth window opens has the advantage.

There is a related lesson from logistics technology. The Loadstar (30 October 2026) argues that the most common misconception about AI in logistics is that it is a magic button, and that portal-hopping, chasing and manual reconciling are mostly still there. The same is true of congestion. No tool removes the waiting. What helps is knowing which vessels are waiting, who owns or manages them, and who to contact first.

Suppliers who want a repeatable routine for this can start with a structured bunker supplier prospecting routine built around vessel arrivals, and with a clear view of how port congestion creates opportunities for agile suppliers.

How to respond this week

Practical steps for chandlers, bunker suppliers, agents and yards operating in the Gulf:

• Pull the current waiting list for your ports and sort by vessel type, DWT (DWT, deadweight tonnage, the weight a ship can carry) and owner or manager.
• Identify the technical or purchasing superintendent for each management company, not just the vessel name.
• Send a short, specific message before the berth window opens, offering a service tied to the delay.
• Re-quote when the ETA changes, and keep the conversation history with the vessel record.
• Respect consent and opt-outs on every channel, especially WhatsApp.

For suppliers new to the region, our guide to reading Gulf shipping news for supplier demand explains how to separate signal from noise.

How VesselReach helps

VesselReach turns waiting vessels into named conversations before the berth window opens.

• Vessel intelligence: see vessels near your selected ports and scheduled arrivals, which means you can contact the right company while the ship is still at anchor.
• AI company targeting and decision-maker discovery: identify the manager, owner or operator behind each vessel and the operations, procurement or technical roles to approach.
• Multichannel outreach and follow-ups: stage email, WhatsApp and phone contact, with AI handling routine enquiries and escalating to your team when needed.

Book a VesselReach demo to see the workflow on your own ports, and ask about the 10-day free trial offered after the demo meeting.