Dubai ports operator DP World has launched cargo war risk insurance as Middle East trade routes remain severely disrupted by the fallout from the Iran war.
The solution provides continuous coverage across the entire supply chain, from ocean or air transit through port storage and inland delivery, DP World said on Thursday.
The ports operator has also “secured pricing that is significantly more competitive” than standard war risk premiums, it said.
“This is about solving a real, immediate problem for global trade,” said Yuvraj Narayan, group chief executive of DP World.
“Supply chains don’t stop at the port or the shoreline and neither should insurance.”
Its programme is available for companies trading in or through the Middle East, including the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and surrounding inland routes. It covers physical loss or damage caused by war-related risks, including conflict, civil unrest, seizure and derelict weapons, with all valid claims settled with zero deductible.
The programme offers coverage limits of up to $400 million per shipment and $1 million per inland movement, DP World said.
Since the start of the war on February 28 and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, many insurance companies have cancelled coverage for the sea route. Hundreds of ships remain stranded around the key waterway, which is under a double blockade by Iran and the US.
Traditional cargo insurance packages typically exclude war risk or require separate cover. “Carriers do not cover war-related losses, as these fall outside their liability,” DP World said.
DP World said the solution extends its role “beyond ports and terminals to become an end-to-end supply chain partner”.
The ports operator in March reported that profit for 2025 increased 32.2 per cent annually to $1.96 billion, as revenue rose 22 per cent to $24.4 billion.
Total group gross throughput increased 5.8 per cent to 93.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units, it said.
