In recent weeks, several carriers have successively rolled out new Red Sea services.
The latest comes from UAE feeder operator GFS, Regional Container Lines (RCL) and TS Lines (TSL), who have jointly launched a new China–Red Sea loop.

The new loop is designed to meet rising cargo demand in the Red Sea region—especially for consumer goods, machinery and building materials bound for Saudi Arabia and Egypt—while using Jeddah, the fastest-growing hub in the area, to offer trans-shipment options.

Operated initially with 3,000-TEU containerships on a fortnightly schedule, the port rotation is: Shanghai → Qingdao → Nansha (Guangzhou) → Shekou (Shenzhen) → Jeddah → Sokhna → Aqaba → Jeddah → Shanghai.

Industry observers say the move shows regional carriers’ growing appetite for capacity on the China–Red Sea corridor, where demand has outstripped supply for the past year.

Recently, Sea-Jet Shipping launched a weekly China–Red Sea service that trims transit time to 16 days through optimized vessel scheduling, cutting in-transit risk and inventory-carrying costs.

Dubai-based CStar Line also entered the market in July with its FRS1 loop, running twice a month with four 1,600–2,000-TEU ships on the rotation: Qingdao → Shanghai → Nansha (Guangzhou) → Jeddah → Aqaba → Suez (Sokhna) → Qingdao.

Despite media reports that the Houthis have paused attacks on Red Sea shipping, the group has issued no official confirmation and the Gaza cease-fire remains fragile. (See: Red Sea crisis signals a ‘cease-fire’—a bumpy turning-point for global shipping?)

Clarkson data show Red Sea transits are still far below normal. Average daily arrivals in the Gulf of Aden in early November 2025 were down about 65 % versus the 2023 average. The broker expects most operators to stay cautious and not return in large numbers until there are clear, long-term signs of stability and a tangible improvement in the security situation.