Hormuz Blockade Causes Jebel Ali Port Throughput to Plunge 90%, DP World Losing $90 Million in Monthly Profit
nashnova research
The Strait of Hormuz blockade has cut Jebel Ali — the Middle East's largest port — to 10% of normal throughput, costing operator DP World roughly $90 million a month in lost profit and forcing a live rewiring of global trade routes.
How badly is Jebel Ali crippled?
Jebel Ali previously handled about 15 million containers a year, serving as the core transshipment hub linking Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Lloyd's List ranked it the world's ninth-largest container port last year.
Since the Hormuz blockade, throughput has fallen to 10% of normal — nine out of every ten containers can no longer pass through.
This means → it is not just one port down; the Middle East's main "relay point" for global cargo is effectively severed.
What does the damage look like on DP World's books?
CEO Yuvraj Narayan told the *Wall Street Journal* the blockade is costing the company roughly $90 million a month in lost profit.
DP World's 2025 EBITDA — earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization — was $6.4 billion. The 2026 forecast is about $6 billion, with growth elsewhere offsetting the shortfall.
Narayan noted that without the conflict, 2026 profit could have exceeded $7 billion. In plain terms = the blockade is shaving more than $1 billion a year off the company's earnings.
How is cargo being rerouted — and at what cost?
DP World is diverting shipments to ports in the Gulf of Oman, along the Red Sea coast, and in Turkey, while deploying 700 additional trucks across the region to keep essential goods — especially food — moving.
The company has also committed $500 million to build two new port facilities at Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz entirely.
Narayan stressed that no single Middle Eastern port can replace Jebel Ali; alternative routes are longer, and supply-chain costs could double. This means → the rerouting bill will ultimately land on consumers worldwide.
Can Jebel Ali bounce back once the strait reopens?
Narayan is optimistic long-term: once Hormuz reopens, cargo volumes will fully return — but the recovery could take roughly three months.
He argues Jebel Ali's cost structure and connectivity still make it the market's first choice.
In plain terms = the port's hardware is intact, but pulling shipping lines, bookings, and schedules back takes time.
What has this crisis changed?
Narayan acknowledged that a Hormuz blockade sat on DP World's risk register as a "high-impact, low-probability" event — now proven to be very real.
The company will recalibrate its assessment of similar geopolitical risks. This reflects a systemic repricing of geopolitical exposure across global port operators.
Background: Narayan took over as CEO in mid-February this year after predecessor Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem abruptly resigned over ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
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