Israeli shipping companies have found a new way to bypass the Houthi blockade which has caused a considerable hike in shipping prices.
According to a report by Itamar Eichner in Yedioth Ahronot, in the past month, ships with shipments heading to Israel have been anchoring in ports in Bahrain and the UAE. From there the shipments are loaded onto trucks which make their way through Saudi Arabia and Jordan before reaching the Israeli border.
It is estimated that until now, dozens of trucks carrying Israeli shipments have taken this route.
Sources in the shipping sector told the newspaper that companies are afraid of Houthi attacks and prefer to completely avoid unloading goods in Israel.
The Houthi blockade has caused price hikes and shipping delays in additional countries as well.
The Tesla plant in Germany has announced the suspension of activity due to a lack of parts that did not arrive on time due to the Houthi blockade.
One company that has taken a new approach to avoid the blockade is Mentfield Logistics, which, in coordination with Israel's Ambassador to Bahrain Eitan Na'eh, diverted ships from China to ports in Bahrain and the UAE.
The company's CEO, Omer Yitzhari, stated: "In recent years we've had to be more creative for our customers. Therefore, we were the first to rent plains, and through an 'air train,' we brought eggs and protective gear to Israel during the COVID-19 crisis. Today, we are facing the Houthi threat to the shipping routes. We understood that the fastest and cheapest way to import goods from the east is through Saudi Arabia and from there on trucks to Jordan and then Israel."