Jeddah to Rotterdam shipping route.

The shipping route from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Rotterdam, Netherlands covers 4,024 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 4,507 km apart, so the ship sails 1.65 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal, 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 12.0 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 14.0 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 9.3. 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 Jeddah and Rotterdam to plan the full ocean transit time.

2,341 nm of the route, 58% of it, lies inside North 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 Jeddah to Rotterdam move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Rotterdam (NLRTM) carriers give about 5 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 Jeddah in this directory, Rotterdam is the 22nd shortest. Closer destinations include Antwerp (4,005 nm), Durban (3,964 nm) and London Gateway (3,954 nm).