Hambantota International Port Group and Al-Futtaim Logistics have discussed expanding their existing business relationship, with Middle East shipping disruption having pushed Hambantota into service as an alternative gateway for vehicles bound for Gulf markets.
The talks took place during a courtesy visit to the port by a delegation led by the Vice Chairman of the Al-Futtaim Group, the Daily Mirror reported. Discussion centred on strengthening commercial ties, including the role of the CASCADIA RoRo Feeder Service in improving the port’s connectivity with the Gulf.
The visit also produced an unscheduled item. Lanka Business Online reported that the discussions “extended beyond the scheduled agenda” when the delegation expressed interest in investment opportunities at the port. Port officials outlined prospects across port operations and the industrial park. No agreement, value or timetable is reported.
What the white paper claims
The visit follows Al-Futtaim’s white paper “Resilience in Motion”, which names Hambantota as one of three alternative gateways used to keep regional automotive supply chains running after disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. The other two are Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat and Port Khor Fakkan in the Gulf of Oman.
The three routes together moved more than 25,000 finished vehicles into the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, according to the company.
“Alternative corridors brought into operation within weeks helped sustain dealer supplies and supported auto manufacturers in returning to full production capacity during the disruption,” an Al-Futtaim representative said, in an account carried by EconomyNext.
The port operator said that “transhipment facilities located outside the immediate disruption zone provide practical alternative delivery routes that keep vital regional supply chains running smoothly.”
All three filings are explicit that the 25,000 figure is a combined total for all three gateways and not the volume handled by Hambantota alone. None gives Hambantota’s own share.
The CASCADIA RoRo Feeder Service, launched on 9 June 2026, links the port with onward vehicle supply chains in the region. It is operated by CASCADIA, a Canada-headquartered maritime logistics firm with regional operations including Dubai.
A date worth noting
The white paper puts the Hormuz disruption in March 2026. This desk’s own record of Hormuz-driven cargo rerouting through Sri Lanka begins later: the closure that redrew regional routes was covered here from August 2026, including 14 Lamborghinis routed through Hambantota and Katunayake to Dubai and Doha that month. The March date is the company’s, and neither filing explains it.
The port’s automotive push is not new. A new-generation NYK RoRo vessel made its maiden call at Hambantota in September carrying 4,810 vehicles for transhipment.
Al-Futtaim Logistics, part of the Dubai-headquartered Al-Futtaim Group, works across automotive, aerospace, retail and food and beverage logistics, reaching more than 150 countries through partners.
The discussions also covered broader contingency planning and regulatory coordination as global operators build networks resilient to future trade shocks.
Not reported
The Al-Futtaim Vice Chairman is not named in any of the three filings, and the quotes above are attributed to “an Al-Futtaim representative” and to the port operator rather than to named officials. None reports the date of the visit, what investment the delegation is considering, or whether anything was agreed. All three accounts carry the same text near-verbatim, indicating a single release rather than three independent reports — so the three mastheads here should be read as wider circulation of one announcement, not as independent confirmation of its claims.