The Gulf became the bridge Pakistan was meant to be

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The global logistics map is being redrawn in real time. The Red Sea, once treated as little more than a maritime passage linking Europe to Asia through the Suez Canal, has become the center of a contest over where the world’s cargo is handled. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to transform the Kingdom into a global logistics hub, with investments exceeding $150 billion in transport and logistics infrastructure. The UAE continues to leverage Dubai and Abu Dhabi as integrated maritime, air and land connectivity centers, while Qatar and Oman have positioned themselves as fixtures in regional supply chains. Even tiny Djibouti, with a population of less than 1.2 million, has emerged as East Africa’s principal logistics gateway through aggressive port development and foreign partnerships. 

Pakistan, meanwhile, remains a country of immense logistical promise that has yet to convert strategic geography into strategic advantage. 

The numbers tell a sobering story. Pakistan ranked 122nd out of 160 countries on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index in 2018, down from 68th two years earlier. In the 2023 assessment it did not appear at all, having failed to supply enough survey data to be ranked. Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port alone handles more than 15 million TEUs a year, making it one of the world’s busiest container ports. Saudi ports handled over 320 million tons of cargo in 2024, and the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy seeks to place Saudi Arabia among the world’s top ten logistics nations by the end of the decade. Pakistan’s two principal ports, Karachi Port and Port Qasim, remain plagued by congestion, fragmented governance and inconsistent policy implementation. 

Pakistan’s strategic location should........

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