Gdansk to Jeddah shipping route.

The shipping route from Gdansk, Poland to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia covers 4,852 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 4,044 km apart, so the ship sails 2.22 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 14.4 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 16.8 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 11.2. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Gdansk and Jeddah to plan the full ocean transit time.

3,185 nm of the route, 66% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA, Baltic Sea ECA and Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Gdansk to Jeddah move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Jeddah (SAJED) carriers give about 7 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Gdansk in this directory, Jeddah is the 21st shortest. Closer destinations include Savannah (4,357 nm), Charleston (4,302 nm) and Mersin (4,196 nm).