New service connects South Korea’s Incheon Port to Jebel Ali in the UAE

South Korea’s Incheon Port Authority (IPA) has launched a regular container sea route connecting the port with Jebel Ali in the UAE, according to an IPA statement. The service, dubbed FAM (Far East – Middle East Service), is operated by Singapore-based shipping firm SeaLead Shipping. The shipping line will have eight container ships that can carry some 4.3-5.6k TEUs, and will begin operating next Wednesday, 28 June, according to the statement.

The rotation: The route will operate every two weeks, starting from Incheon and making stops in Busan and six ports in China, before arriving in Dubai.

This is the first link between Incheon Port and the Middle East after a five-year hiatus, since its last link was suspended in 2018, the statement said.A prior sea route connecting Incheon with Iran and the UAE was suspended due to US sanctions against Iran, according to Khaleej Times.

The impact: The service will result in a 50k TEU a year increase in the volume of goods transported to the Middle East, including used cars, automobile parts and construction equipment, the IPA says. The service is expected to enhance trade between Korea and the Middle East and to serve as a bridge between the Black Sea, Southern Europe and Incheon Port.