Published Apr 29, 2026 by Seatrade-Maritime

TT Club members will be able to sustain their present level of cover in listed areas of Middle East on land , including the Gulf region, despite the continuing conflict. The ‘exceptional policy change’ will enable insured parties to buy war risk cover for containers on land, extending cover from the present limits of ship, voyage, and port calls. 

The insurance cover extension comes at a key moment as shippers and cargo owners seek safe passage for their goods amid the continuing conflict in the region. Intermodal supply chains are being developed to bypass the perilous Strait of Hormuz and, to some extent, the Bal el-Mandeb Strait, combining rail and sea to use new routes across Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea to Egypt and the Mediterranean. 

TT Club has also published detailed guidance for navigating the complexities of operating in conflict-affected areas and recently hosted a dedicated webinar to help members understand their cover, assess their risk exposure and make informed operational decisions.

Several transport options, including Saudi Arabia’s Northern Corridor, a 1,700 km rail link between ports in the country’s Eastern Province to the Al-Haditha border crossing on the Saudi-Jordan border. Trains have capacity for more than 400 twenty-foot containers. The Riyadh Dry Port and the Al Kharj agricultural produce region to the south-east of Riyadh also have rail connections. 

Meanwhile, the multi-billion dollar Saudi Landbridge, connecting the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea is not expected to become operational for until 2030 or beyond. Analysts believe that date could be brought forward in light of the present conflict.  

“Our Members are operating in one of the most challenging and unpredictable environments the industry has seen in decades,” declared Andrew Peers, TT Club Underwriting Director. “Our priority has been to stand by them through that uncertainty, and we are proud to be able to offer continued marine war risks cover, and now also war risks cover on land, in the Gulf region. This is what membership of TT Club means in practice – support when it matters most.”

As the situation in the Gulf continues to evolve, TT Club urges its Members to review their insurance arrangements carefully and contact their broker or usual TT Club representative with any queries relating to the scope of their cover.