Aqaba Transit Container Traffic Jumps 155.1% in First Half of 2026

Shipping Arabia, July 12, 2026 – Transit container traffic through the Port of Aqaba surged 155.1% in the first half of 2026, driven by stronger regional demand and changing carrier networks across the Red Sea.

Transit volumes reached 60,178 twenty-foot equivalent units, up from 23,593 TEUs in the same period last year, according to figures released by the Jordan Shipping Association.

The sharp increase was led by cargo moving to Iraq, where transit volumes rose to 24,664 TEUs from 2,901 TEUs a year earlier. Traffic to Syria, Palestine, Gulf markets and free zones also increased.

Inbound refrigerated transit cargo recorded the strongest growth, rising 499% to 4,485 TEUs from 749 TEUs in the first half of 2025, reflecting higher demand for temperature-controlled cargo movements through Aqaba.

Capt. Mohammad Al-Dalabih, secretary-general of the Jordan Shipping Association, said the figures reflected growing confidence in Aqaba’s role as a regional logistics gateway and its ability to respond to changing supply chain conditions.

Total container throughput at Aqaba reached 472,679 TEUs during the six-month period, up 1% from 468,063 TEUs a year earlier.

Import volumes increased 4.2% to 245,461 TEUs, while export volumes declined 5.1% to 49,573 TEUs.

The port handled 285 container vessel calls, down 3.4% from 295 calls in the first half of 2025. Al-Dalabih attributed the decline to the deployment of larger and more efficient vessels, rather than weaker activity, as carriers replaced smaller feeder ships with vessels capable of carrying more containers per sailing.

Congestion at Jeddah Islamic Port also influenced regional cargo flows, prompting some shipping lines to adjust service patterns and route additional transit cargo through Aqaba.

Al-Dalabih said the results underline the need to continue improving port procedures, maritime services and logistics infrastructure to capture a larger share of regional trade.

The Jordan Shipping Association said it will continue working with public and private sector stakeholders to address operational challenges and strengthen Aqaba’s position in regional and international supply chains.

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