Shipping firm Maersk says Middle East has pressing need for food imports

The Middle East region has a "pressing need" for food imports that have been disrupted by the outbreak of war in the Gulf, the chair of the board of Danish

container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Wednesday.



According to the World Economic Forum, Gulf Cooperation Council countries - which include Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - import up to 85% of their food.



The war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran last month, followed by Iranian attacks across the region and its closing of the Strait of Hormuz, has brought shipping in the Gulf to a near standstill, rippling across global supply chains.



Maersk temporarily suspended cargo bookings to many ports in the Gulf region and introduced emergency bunker fuel surcharges around the world to compensate for rising fuel costs.