New East Africa–Oman sea route shortens livestock transit to under a week

Reliable transit time is the single biggest welfare and cost lever in live-animal shipping. This season we have restructured our East Africa programme around a shorter, more frequent sailing pattern that brings livestock from loading ports on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to Omani discharge ports in typically four to ten days, depending on origin, weather and port rotation.

What has changed

• More frequent departures. Smaller, more regular consignments replace a few large voyages, which reduces the time animals wait in assembly yards before loading.
• Direct discharge. Vessels now rotate to the Omani port closest to the buyer’s holding facility, cutting onward trucking.
• Aligned documentation. Veterinary, Halal and origin documents are checked at origin and again before sailing, so cargo is ready for clearance on arrival.

Why it matters to buyers

Shorter voyages mean lower shrinkage, healthier animals on arrival and a tighter planning window for wholesalers and slaughterhouses. For seasonal peaks, regular sailings also give buyers the flexibility to call forward additional lots rather than commit to a single large shipment.

“Predictable sailings let our customers plan holding space, labour and distribution days in advance — that is where the real savings are.”

Origins covered

The updated schedule supports live sheep, goats, cattle and camels from Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia. Pre-export quarantine and veterinary inspection at origin remain mandatory for every lot, and arrival inspection is carried out by the competent Omani authorities.

Planning your volumes

To reserve space on upcoming sailings, share your target species, quantity and preferred discharge port through our quote form. Our trade desk will confirm availability and an indicative schedule within one working day.