Hormuz closure disrupted 34% of crude oil transit, DSV CFO says

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted 34 percent of global crude oil transit, forcing logistics and transport operators to manage supply chain constraints without adequate advance planning for the timing of the event. DSV Global Transport and Logistics CFO Isabelle Massad said the company had prepared scenarios for geopolitical tensions affecting trade routes but was not ready for when the disruption actually occurred.

DSV scenario planning covered routes but not timing#

Massad said DSV had conducted risk management discussions on the possibility of trade routes becoming non-viable but did not have all the answers when the strait closed. The company focused on ensuring financial, operational and adaptability readiness rather than predicting the exact timing of a closure. She said disruptions have been part of logistics business planning for the past five years, making adaptability a standing requirement. Massad spoke at the eighth New Age and Finance Summit in Dubai on 11 November 2026.

Al Habtoor Motors CFO reports magnitude exceeded expectations#

Jagdish Parulekar, CFO of Al Habtoor Motors, said he anticipated the conflict would disrupt shipping lanes but did not foresee the scale of the impact. He said it took time for the organisation to grasp the full situation before deciding on a response. Management directed the company to explore every option and secure the situation as much as possible. Parulekar said the company moved past the disruption quickly despite not having a contingency plan ready at the time of the closure.

Logistics sector reports five years of continuous disruption#

Massad said the logistics industry has operated under continuous disruption conditions for five years, making scenario planning and adaptability standard practice. DSV incorporated disruption management into its business planning process as a result of repeated supply chain shocks during that period. The company's preparation focused on financial reserves, operational flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing conditions rather than on predicting specific events. The Hormuz closure tested those preparations against an event whose timing remained uncertain until it occurred.

Firms set new contingency plans after Hormuz experience#

Parulekar said Al Habtoor Motors learned from the Hormuz disruption and is now setting better contingency plans based on the experience. The company's response involved exploring all available options to secure supply and operations during the closure period. He said the organisation was able to recover quickly once it had assessed the full scope of the disruption and implemented its response. Both executives spoke at a session titled Power Talk: When the Region Shook: How Treasurers Actually Handled the 2026 Hormuz Disruption.