Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced the launch of a new route – the Europe – Red Sea – Middle East Express – in response to growing demand for shipping services between Europe and the Red Sea and Middle East regions. The company notes that this decision was also driven by the current complex geopolitical situation in the Middle East and the need to provide stable and expedited logistics solutions for its clients.
The new service will provide a direct link between key European ports and strategically vital regional hubs – including King Abdullah Port, Jeddah, and Aqaba – as well as destinations in the Persian Gulf, specifically the UAE and the Upper Gulf, as part of MSC’s extensive multimodal network. The route is designed to facilitate faster delivery of all types of cargo and to enhance connectivity between European and Middle Eastern markets.
The inaugural voyage on the OC619 A route is scheduled to depart from Antwerp on May 10. The subsequent eastbound rotation schedule includes calls at Gdańsk, Klaipėda, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Valencia, Barcelona, Gioia Tauro, Abu Qir, King Abdullah Port, Jeddah, and Aqaba. Furthermore, all European ports – spanning the Northwest Coast and the Baltic, as well as the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and the Black Sea – will be integrated into this service via MSC’s extensive feeder network.