SIMIC

The new service rotates between Mundra, Pipavav, Jebel Ali, Dammam, and Jebel Ali and back to Mundra, connecting India, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, reports Container News..

With the new service, Maersk aims to address the rising demand in the trade between the Indian and the Gulf markets. The 'Shaheen Express' includes two vessels with a nominal capacity of 1,700 TEU per week.

India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into force in May 2022, which is steadily boosting the volumes of trade between the two countries.

"The markets have started stabilising, and the ocean networks are normalising after over two years of disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, not only did we strive hard to ensure we addressed all our customers' challenges, but we also got a chance to look ahead and understand what their requirements would be in the future," commented Bhavan Vempati, head of regional ocean management, Maersk West & Central Asia.

The main commodities moving between these two countries that will benefit from the increased capacity include FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) such as electronics, perishables such as foodstuff, retail goods including textile and apparel, and chemicals.