Hambantota Port, Al-Futtaim discuss expanding vehicle shipment operations to Gulf markets

Daily Mirror and EconomyNext report that Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) and Al-Futtaim Logistics discussed extending their commercial relationship, amid shipping disruption in the Middle East. EconomyNext says the meeting occurred during a visit to the port by a delegation led by the vice chairman of UAE-based Al-Futtaim Group.

EconomyNext reports that the parties considered the CASCADIA RoRo Feeder Service and possible investment involving port operations and the industrial zone. EconomyNext says Canada-headquartered maritime company CASCADIA operates the service, which started on June 9, 2026, and supports onward vehicle movements to Gulf markets.

EconomyNext reports that an Al-Futtaim white paper, Resilience in Motion, described Hambantota as one of three alternative gateways put to use after disruption to routes near the Strait of Hormuz in March 2026. The other locations it identified were Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos and Port Khor Fakkan in the Gulf of Oman. EconomyNext says these routes collectively transported more than 25,000 finished vehicles to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

EconomyNext reports that an Al-Futtaim representative said the additional routes helped preserve supplies to dealers and enabled vehicle makers to resume full production during the disruption. EconomyNext also attributes to the port operator the view that transhipment locations beyond the affected area offered workable alternatives for maintaining regional supply flows. The outlet says the talks also addressed contingency arrangements and regulatory coordination for future trade disruptions.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.