How Middle Eastern Hubs Are Reshaping the India–Africa Trade Corridor

India–Africa trade continues to expand, but the deeper shift is unfolding in the way cargo moves between the two regions. While political engagement and trade ambitions remain strong, logistics realities are quietly redefining the corridor. Limited direct connectivity, uneven infrastructure and capacity constraints have pushed trade flows towards a hub-based model, with the Middle East emerging as the most important bridge.

Today, ports and airports in Dubai, Doha, Jeddah and Salalah are no longer mere transit points. They have evolved into critical logistics hubs that enable Indian cargo to reach African markets with greater efficiency. This transition is steadily reshaping how India and Africa conduct trade.

Industry assessments by the Confederation of Indian Industry and multilateral bodies such as the World Bank highlight strong medium-term potential for India–Africa trade. Both regions see expanding opportunities in pharmaceuticals, machinery, food products and manufactured goods, with governments and private players actively working to deepen economic ties.

However, logistics infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with trade ambition. Direct shipping and air cargo links between India and Africa remain limited, particularly to West and Central Africa. This shortfall has compelled exporters, airlines and freight forwarders to depend on third-country hubs to ensure reliable cargo movement.

Sanjeev Gadhia, Chief Executive Officer of Astral Aviation, identifies limited direct capacity as the core challenge. He notes that India has very few freighter operations serving Africa, largely because Indian cargo airlines operate primarily narrow-body aircraft focused on domestic and short-haul routes. As a result, exporters face restricted direct options for moving freight into African markets.

The Middle East as the trade bridge
The Middle East has stepped in not only due to its geographic advantage but also because of sustained investment in logistics infrastructure. Over the years, countries in the region have developed ports, airports and free zones designed to handle global trade flows efficiently.

According to Gadhia, close to 70 percent of India–Africa cargo currently moves through Middle Eastern hubs, while only about 30 percent travels directly. This has firmly positioned the region as the primary transit corridor between the two markets.

Dubai, Doha and Jeddah have emerged as the three most influential hubs for Africa-bound cargo. Each plays a distinct role, together forming a network that supports air-to-air, sea-to-sea and sea-to-air cargo movements.

Dubai’s network strength
Gadhia points out that Dubai currently offers stronger network connectivity than other Middle Eastern hubs serving Africa. Its advantage lies in the depth and breadth of airline connectivity. Dubai links India and Africa with China, Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia, allowing carriers to consolidate cargo from multiple origins and maintain high aircraft utilisation.

He adds that Dubai should be viewed as a logistics cluster rather than a single airport. Facilities such as Dubai World Central, Dubai International, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi together provide routing flexibility and capacity options. This becomes particularly relevant during Indian holiday periods when cargo volumes may temporarily soften.

The presence of Emirates SkyCargo, alongside a wide range of international carriers, gives Dubai extensive reach into African destinations. This level of connectivity supports efficient cargo consolidation and redistribution.

Growing alternatives: Doha and Jeddah
Doha has steadily strengthened its role as a cargo hub, supported by Qatar Airways Cargo’s expanding African network. The hub plays a key role in handling time-sensitive and high-value shipments, including pharmaceuticals.

Jeddah is also gaining strategic importance. Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 logistics investments, the city is emerging as a vital gateway for Africa-bound cargo. Gadhia highlights Saudi Cargo’s growing network as an increasingly important contributor to southbound trade flows.

While Dubai remains the most connected hub, Doha and Jeddah provide valuable additional capacity and resilience, particularly during peak demand periods.

Sea routes and port-led connectivity
Air cargo is critical for high-value and time-sensitive goods, but ocean freight continues to carry the bulk of India–Africa trade volumes. Indian ports such as JNPA (Nhava Sheva), Mundra and Cochin serve as major gateways for Africa-bound shipments.

On the African side, key ports act as entry points before cargo moves inland. Transhipment hubs such as Jebel Ali and Salalah play a central role in linking these sea routes. Cargo from India is often shipped to these hubs, consolidated, and then forwarded to African ports on dedicated services.

DP World has highlighted how transhipment-led routing helps offset the lack of direct services, especially to West Africa. This approach allows shipping lines to maintain frequency and reliability despite fragmented demand across multiple destinations.

Structured trade corridors emerge
Recognising the growing importance of logistics integration, the Government of India and DP World launched the Bharat Africa Setu initiative. According to DP World, the programme aims to double India–Africa trade by creating reliable, cost-effective and structured trade corridors.

Bharat Africa Setu connects Indian ports with African markets through DP World’s global network of ports and logistics assets, including hubs in the Middle East. The initiative focuses on multimodal connectivity, combining sea, air and land transport to reduce transit times and logistics costs.

This marks a broader shift from fragmented routing towards planned trade corridors supported by infrastructure investment and policy coordination.

West Africa’s dependence on transhipment
Africa’s logistics landscape varies widely by region. Gadhia notes that West Africa remains the most dependent on transhipment hubs. The distance from India is greater, and direct freighter capacity is virtually absent.

As a result, most India-origin cargo destined for West Africa moves through the Middle East. Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies dominate these flows, driven by strong demand and limited local manufacturing capacity.

Pharma and vaccines drive air cargo demand
Pharmaceuticals continue to be a cornerstone of India–Africa trade, with India supplying a significant share of Africa’s generic medicines and vaccines.

Gadhia notes that vaccines, including malaria vaccines manufactured in India, are increasingly transported by air due to strict temperature control and shelf-life requirements. These shipments depend heavily on hubs equipped with advanced cold-chain infrastructure.

He explains that delays at transit hubs or during inland clearance can compromise shipment integrity, making end-to-end efficiency critical.

Time pressures
Despite the role of Middle Eastern hubs, transit times remain a concern. Gadhia says cargo moving from India to Africa via hubs typically takes between five and seven days.

Reducing this to around three days would significantly improve service levels and exporter confidence. Achieving this would require better airline coordination, faster hub handling and smoother documentation processes.

Inland Africa remains a challenge
Moving cargo beyond African ports and airports continues to pose difficulties. Gadhia points to customs procedures, transit documentation and multiple border crossings as major sources of delay, particularly for landlocked countries.

Transit clearance can take up to a week, adding cost and time to supply chains. Improving inland connectivity and simplifying procedures will be essential if Africa is to fully benefit from growing trade with India.

Limited cargo airlines, growing partnerships
Africa has a relatively small number of dedicated cargo airlines, most of which are linked to national carriers, with few privately owned operators.

According to Gadhia, this creates scope for collaboration rather than competition. Astral Aviation partners with Indian airlines such as IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet to move cargo into Nairobi, which then functions as a regional redistribution hub.

He notes that Nairobi has emerged as a key gateway, with Indian carriers concentrating African operations there instead of spreading limited capacity across multiple destinations.

The corridor going forward
Industry executives interviewed for this report consistently highlighted logistics capacity, connectivity and reliability as the main constraints shaping India–Africa trade flows. Cargo airlines and logistics providers also stressed the need for closer collaboration among Indian, Middle Eastern and African stakeholders.

According to operators active along the corridor, multimodal hubs in the Middle East currently enable India–Africa cargo movement by providing consolidation, storage and redistribution capabilities.

As governments, ports, airlines and logistics providers align strategy with infrastructure investment, the India–Africa corridor is gradually becoming more structured. For now, multimodal hubs remain the quiet backbone supporting trade between two of the world’s fastest-growing regions.