Hamriyah
UAE port in Sharjah emirate; loading point for the sanctioned tanker Rich Starry on the first day of CENTCOM's Hormuz blockade enforcement.
Last refreshed: 14 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How is a US-sanctioned tanker loading cargo at a UAE port on blockade day one?
Timeline for Hamriyah
Mentioned in: Sanctioned tankers slip Hormuz on day one
Iran Conflict 2026Where is Hamriyah port and what does it handle?
Why was Hamriyah mentioned during the Iran Hormuz blockade?
Is Hamriyah the same as Jebel Ali?
Background
Hamriyah is a port and industrial free zone in Sharjah emirate, approximately 30 kilometres north-east of Dubai on the western shore of the UAE. It is one of the UAE's smaller but strategically positioned commercial ports, operated by the Sharjah Ports Authority. The Hamriyah Free Zone, established in 1995, hosts over 6,500 companies in sectors including chemicals, steel, construction materials, and petroleum product storage. Its industrial berths handle bulk liquids including methanol, fuel oil, and petrochemicals.
Hamriyah's proximity to the Strait of Hormuz — approximately 100 nautical miles from the narrowest point — and its position outside the main shipping lanes of Dubai's Jebel Ali make it a favoured loading point for commodity cargoes seeking lower-profile transit. The port handles methanol exports sourced from UAE and regional producers, and its free zone status reduces documentation requirements compared with Dubai's larger terminals.
On 13 April 2026, Hamriyah became a reference point in the Iran blockade when the US-sanctioned Chinese tanker Rich Starry loaded a 250,000-barrel methanol cargo there and became the first vessel to exit the Gulf after CENTCOM blockade enforcement began at 14:00 GMT. The Hamriyah loading was tracked independently by Kpler, LSEG, and MarineTraffic, establishing it as the loading terminus for the first test of the blockade regime.
