Rotterdam to Jeddah shipping route.

The shipping route from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 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.

Pure steaming time is 12.0 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 14.0 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 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 Rotterdam and Jeddah 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 Rotterdam 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 60 port to port routes from Rotterdam in this directory, Jeddah is the 16th shortest. Closer destinations include Savannah (3,865 nm), Charleston (3,810 nm) and Mersin (3,368 nm).