Gulf grains under fire: Hormuz, rerouting, and why Iran is better placed than it looks

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced a rapid reshaping of grain supply chains across the Gulf, but the headline story is one of adaptation rather than collapse. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have rerouted effectively, with Red Sea ports absorbing the Saudi pivot and Fujairah stepping in as the UAE's sole grain gateway. Iran, the region's largest buyer, is in the most resilient position of all. Corn imports were front-loaded before the conflict began, and a domestic wheat harvest now underway reduces import needs for the coming months. The real test arrives in July, when Brazil's corn export season resumes and Chabahar's ability to scale will determine how comfortably Iran manages the second half of the year. Saudi Arabia's decision to buy only for Red Sea delivery through August signals that Riyadh is planning its supply chains around a continued closure rather than waiting for the strait to reopen.

Gulf importers saw arrivals fall sharply as Hormuz disruption took hold

The Gulf crisis disrupted grain flows across much of the region between March and May 2026. Several countries saw arrivals drop sharply or go to zero at the height of the disruption. For most Gulf states (countries with coastline in the Mideast Gulf), grain imports flow almost exclusively through Gulf-facing ports such as Jebel Ali, Bandar Imam Khomeini, Shuwaikh and Umm Qasr, all of which sit behind the strait. Saudi Arabia's Red Sea facing ports have served as a lifeline. Iran and UAE have kept their imports flowing through rerouting, albeit at a slower pace.

Gulf region grain imports dipped in April before a partial May recovery (kt)

Source: Kpler

UAE saw the sharpest pivot

Gulf-side ports, which accounted for virtually all UAE grain arrivals in January and February 2026, went to zero in March and April as vessels were diverted away from Hormuz. Fujairah, located on the Sea of Oman and accessible without transiting the strait, absorbed the entire import volume during this period, surging to 307 kt in April. May figures are preliminary, and vessels currently indicating Jebel Ali as their destination are likely to divert to Fujairah while the strait remains closed.

UAE grain arrivals have pivoted from Jebel Ali to Fujairah (kt)

Source: Kpler

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea ports absorbed the Hormuz disruption without a break in supply

The bulk of Saudi Arabia's grain import capacity sits on the Red Sea, not the Gulf. King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, the main Gulf-side terminal, handled 557 kt in January but dropped to 119 kt by April as Gulf routing became untenable. Red Sea ports absorbed the extra volume without much issue. Yanbu Commercial, Jeddah, King Abdullah and Jizan collectively handled over 1,500 kt in April, up from around 1,200 kt in January, keeping total monthly arrivals broadly stable. May data is preliminary but points to the Gulf share falling below 1% as rerouting becomes near-total.

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea facing ports have served as a lifeline, providing a reference point for how established alternative routing can function at scale. The Kingdom has continued buying grain through the disruption and in its most recent wheat tender specified Red Sea delivery only, with Dammam conspicuously absent. Shipments are contracted for June to August, a signal that Riyadh is planning its forward purchases on the assumption that Hormuz remains closed for the coming months.