Key UAE Oil Hub Suspends Loadings as War-Related Halts Mount

By Anthony Di Paola, Salma El Wardany and Fiona MacDonald

Mar 17, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The key port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates has suspended oil loadings, according to a shipping agent and a person familiar with the matter, the latest halt after a series of earlier war-related strikes on the country’s only crude oil export route outside the Strait of Hormuz. 

Loading berths at the Fujairah Oil Tanker Terminals, which handles liquid cargo including fuels, were halted as of Tuesday morning, according to a note from Inchcape Shipping Services. A terminal operated in a joint venture with Dutch firm Koninklijke Vopak NV has also suspended operations at its offshore mooring point, according to the note.

That’s a change from a report Monday evening that said the Oil Tanker Terminals were partially operational. A person close to the development had also said that crude oil loadings from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. at the port remained suspended.

Fujairah is a major hub for both crude and fuels, and has taken on increased significance for both the UAE and global markets because of its position outside the Strait of Hormuz, which has been all-but-closed because of the war. 

A Kuwait-flagged LPG tanker suffered minor damage after it was hit by drone debris off Fujairah, a person with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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