NEOM Port, in partnership with Pan Marine and supported by DFDS, has launched a new multimodal freight corridor connecting Europe to Egypt and onward to the Gulf and Iraq via the Red Sea — operational from 14 April 2026.
How it works — two stages:
Stage 1 — Europe to Egypt: Cargo moves by truck from Europe to Egypt via DFDS's RoRo service linking Trieste (Italy) to Damietta Port, with a weekly capacity of up to 420 trailers.
Stage 2 — Egypt to the Gulf: Freight crosses from Safaga Port to NEOM Port via Pan Marine's RoPax vessel Pan Lily — a 7-hour crossing with capacity for 130 trucks and 100 cars per voyage — before onward road distribution to Gulf and Iraqi destinations.
Service frequency: 4 fixed weekly sailings
Best suited for:
- Time-sensitive cargo, FMCG, food products, and perishables
- Industrial equipment and e-commerce shipments
- Any cargo requiring faster transit than conventional container routing
Active origins: Italy, UK, Germany, and Poland
Destinations served: UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, and wider GCC markets
During the pilot phase, transit times were cut by more than half — with a shipment departing Cairo via Safaga and NEOM reaching Erbil in northern Iraq, over 900 km away, in record time.
Are you ready to increase your savings from shipping rates?