Only 10 days' worth of food products remain in Dubai.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is significantly impacting global trade flows. According to information from the Heute publication, citing data from Stefan Pol, CEO of the leading logistics company Kühne + Nagel, the global air freight market has currently lost approximately 18 percent of its capacity.

 

Pol warns that fresh food supplies in Dubai may only last for about 10 days. The situation could be particularly risky for fresh produce – fruits and vegetables – as many countries in the region are heavily dependent on imports. If the conflict continues for a long time, according to the logistics manager, serious disruptions in the supply chain could occur.

 

While transport via Saudi Arabia is theoretically possible, the available capacity is insufficient to handle the cargo of a single container ship. Such a ship can typically carry up to 20,000 containers – a volume almost impossible to replace with road transport.

 

In Europe, the impact of the war has so far been relatively limited, with only energy prices rising significantly and some disruptions observed in supply chains. In Dubai and other major trading hubs, stores are either closed or operating with minimal staff, which is negatively affecting business and tourism sectors.