Written by: Ali Abdul Khaleq
The Kingdom of Bahrain ranked fourth in the Arab world in terms of the size of the maritime commercial fleet, with a total of 184 commercial ships, according to the classificationGlobal!Firepower2026 for the strength of merchant fleets (Merchant!Marine!Fleet!Strength), in an indicator that reflects the Kingdom’s position within the maritime transport and regional trade sector.
The classification showed that the United Arab Emirates topped the Arab list with a total of 655 commercial ships, followed by Egypt with 441 ships, then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 433 ships, while Bahrain came fourth with 184 ships, ahead of Kuwait (176 ships), Qatar (123 ships), Algeria (119 ships), Libya (96 ships), Morocco (94 ships), and Iraq (74 ships). Globally, Indonesia topped the rankings with a total of 11,422 commercial ships, followed by China (8,314 ships), Panama (8,174 ships), Japan (5,229 ships), and Liberia (4,821 ships).
The classification is based on the total number of commercial ships registered within the commercial fleet of each country, including ships used in transporting goods and maritime trade, as one of the indicators that reflects the country’s ability to support the movement of trade, supply chains and logistics services across the sea. The classification also indicates that the commercial fleet can represent a supporting element of national capabilities in times of crises and emergencies, by providing the capabilities to transport equipment and supplies when needed.
Bahrain’s presence among the top four Arab countries reflects the importance of the maritime sector in the Kingdom, benefiting from its strategic location in the Arabian Gulf and its role as a logistical and commercial center, in addition to the infrastructure of ports and maritime services that support the movement of regional and international trade. Jassim Al-Mousawi, CEO of Al-Fateh Group, stressed that this classification is not just a number, but rather reflects Bahrain’s growing position as a maritime and logistics center in the Gulf.
He said: “The Kingdom’s strategic location, along with the efficiency of Khalifa bin Salman Port, advanced infrastructure and supportive legislation, have contributed to enhancing Bahrain’s competitiveness in the maritime transport sector. We look forward to continuing to develop this sector and attracting more investments and shipping lines, thus consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a major hub for regional and international trade.” And longerGlobal!Firepower(GFP) An international platform specialized in preparing indicators and databases that compare the military, logistical, and maritime capabilities of countries. It also periodically publishes data on commercial fleets, ports, and logistical infrastructure, based on various international databases and indicators to provide a comparative picture of the maritime and logistical capabilities of countries.
