Image Credits: Wikipedia Dubai’s Jebel Ali port has fallen from 10th to 32nd place in the global container port rankings after a sharp drop in container traffic linked to disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Jebel Ali handled 3.14 million TEU in the first half of 2026, down from 7.77 million TEU a year earlier, a fall of almost 60%. The drop was even sharper in the second quarter, when the port handled just 374,000 TEU, down more than 90% from a year earlier. Volumes in the first quarter had fallen 23%. Jebel Ali has traditionally been one of the world’s 10 largest container ports. Alphaliner said its fall in the rankings was due to geopolitical disruption in the Middle East, especially restrictions affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Jebel Ali is inside the Persian Gulf, so most vessels calling at the port have to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf shipping hit by Hormuz disruption The Strait of Hormuz was close to shutting down from March before partially and unevenly reopening in June. Shipping companies changed some Gulf services, which sent more container traffic to other transshipment hubs. Meanwhile, Colombo was one of the ports that benefited from the change. It handled 4.44 million TEU in the first half of 2026, up 11.9% from a year earlier, and moved from 26th to 20th place in the rankings. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority said transshipment made up almost 85% of Colombo’s container business. India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port, also known as Nhava Sheva, also moved up the rankings, from 28th to 21st. Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port saw the opposite. Alphaliner estimates that its container volumes fell by at least 50%. The port dropped out of the global top 50 after ranking 32nd last year. UAE expands routes around the strait The disruption has also led the UAE to expand transport options that do not depend on the Strait of Hormuz . Since March, DP World has moved 500,000 TEU through road and rail corridors across the Gulf Cooperation Council. The net