Ship chandlers & ship supply at Shuwaikh KWSWK

The Kuwait Ports Authority describes Shuwaikh as Kuwait’s main commercial port, in the Shuwaikh Industrial Area next to Kuwait City; it passed to the KPA in 1977 and covers 4.4 million m² with a 1.2 million m² basin and 21 berths.^[1]

—KPA’s 2024 figures: 613,093 TEU of containers, about 3.23 million tonnes of general cargo, 177,394 vehicles and 143,629 head of livestock, from 1,419 vessel calls.^[1]

—The UN Logistics Cluster assessment maps the berths by trade: berth 1 discharges grain by suction straight to the Kuwait Flour Mills silos, berth 8 takes bulk cement, berths 12–13 are part of the Shuwaikh Container Terminal, berths 19–20 serve reefer vessels beside the port’s cold store, and berth 21 takes livestock carriers.^[2]

—A terminal operating system is being rolled out: in September 2026 CyberLogitec signed with Kuwait’s Alghanim Specialities to deploy its cloud-based OPUS Terminal system at Shuwaikh.^[5]

Every call runs through a dredged channel of about 8 km inside Kuwait Bay, 8.5 m deep at lowest tide. Shuwaikh takes vessels of 7.5 m draught at any state of tide and up to 9.5 m at high water — deep-draught entry is confined to the high tides, which come twice a day.^[2]

—Berth depths are not uniform: berths 1–14 have 10 m, berths 18–21 have 8.5 m and berths 15–17 only 6.7 m, over 4,055 m of quay in total — the berth you are assigned matters as much as the channel.^[2]

—The KPA publishes high- and low-water tables for Northern Kuwait and Kuwait Bay; plan ETA, and any delivery timed to your stay alongside, against them.^[3]

—Landside timing counts for deliveries too: trucks are barred from the inner-city zone that includes the port at peak hours (06:30–09:30 and 12:30–15:30, Sunday–Thursday), so stores coming by road move outside those windows.^[2]

—An agent: the KPA works through a published list of approved shipping agents — carrier offices, local shipping houses and a livestock trading company among them — who handle fees, delivery orders and clearance.^[4]

—A tide-fitted arrival plan if you draw more than 7.5 m, checked against the KPA tide tables and the depth of your berth.^[2,3]

—Security clearance under 2026 conditions: Shuwaikh was hit by drones on 27 March 2026 (material damage, no injuries, KPA emergency procedures activated); in June 2026 Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ran at ISPS Level 2 with normal operations, and entry permits for foreign vessels arriving from Iraqi ports were suspended until further notice. Check the current level with your agent before arrival.^[6,7]

—Fresh water: the Logistics Cluster assessment lists no water barges at Shuwaikh, so do not plan on barge delivery — confirm the arrangement with your agent.^[2]

—Provisions, stores and spares while alongside: post a requirement and chandlers serving Shuwaikh answer with sealed bids — suppliers never see the vessel’s name until award. If you supply ships in Kuwait City, be the first supplier in.