The Asia–Middle East lane ties Chinese and South Asian ports to the Gulf hubs of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, anchored by the transshipment giant Jebel Ali.
The 90 port-to-port routes of this lane, ranked by carrier coverage at both ends. Each links to the full distance page with route map and speed table.
| Route | Distance |
|---|---|
| Shanghai Port of Dubai | 5,702 nm |
| Shanghai Jebel Ali | 5,710 nm |
| Qingdao Port of Dubai | 5,966 nm |
| Shanghai Abu Dhabi | 5,800 nm |
| Qingdao Jebel Ali | 5,974 nm |
| Ningbo Port of Dubai | 5,588 nm |
| Shanghai Bahrain | 5,922 nm |
| Shanghai Bahrain | 5,922 nm |
| Ningbo Jebel Ali | 5,596 nm |
| Shanghai Khor Al Fakkan | 5,571 nm |
| Qingdao Abu Dhabi | 6,065 nm |
| Xiamen Port of Dubai | 5,152 nm |
| Qingdao Bahrain | 6,186 nm |
| Qingdao Bahrain | 6,186 nm |
| Ningbo Abu Dhabi | 5,686 nm |
| Xiamen Jebel Ali | 5,160 nm |
| Xingang Port of Dubai | 6,257 nm |
| Xingang Jebel Ali | 6,265 nm |
| Yantian Port of Dubai | 4,948 nm |
| Qingdao Khor Al Fakkan | 5,835 nm |
The lane rides two engines: Gulf import demand for consumer and construction goods, and the region’s role as a transshipment crossroads relaying cargo toward East Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Red Sea. Every route passes the Strait of Malacca and then the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most strategically watched waterway — regional tension translates directly into war-risk premiums and insurance costs on this trade.
Safecube gives you door-to-door visibility on container shipments, with live vessel positions and predictive ETAs on every trade lane.
Seadex covers 90 port-to-port routes on the Asia – Middle East lane, with sea distances ranging from 3,081 to 6,477 nautical miles.
The average route on the Asia – Middle East lane is 5,396 nautical miles, which at typical commercial speeds of 14–18 knots means roughly 12.5 to 16.1 days of sailing, excluding port calls.
Routes on the Asia – Middle East lane transit the following chokepoints: Strait of Malacca, Strait of Hormuz.