Sea distance from Houston to Jebel Ali
The sea route from Houston (United States) to Jebel Ali (United Arab Emirates) is about 9,656 nautical miles, which is 17,883 km or 11,112 statute miles. The route transits Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz. That is about 36% longer than the direct great-circle line, because the practical route follows coastlines and shipping lanes.
Voyage time by boat speed
Time underway is distance divided by speed. These are continuous-passage figures with no stops or weather margin.
| Boat and speed | Time underway |
|---|---|
| Sailboat, conservative (5 kn) | 80d 11h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 67d 1h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 50d 7h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 40d 6h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 26d 20h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 20d 3h |
Planning estimate, not navigation
This distance is computed over the open Eurostat shipping-lane network. It is a realistic passage length for planning, but your sailed distance will differ with weather routing, currents, draft, and the exact berths you leave from and arrive at. Always verify against official charts.
Building with these numbers? The sea route & distance API returns this figure, voyage time, and route geometry for any port pair in one GET request.
Plan this passage properly
Open Houston to Jebel Ali in the Marine OS route planner: it suggests the sea route, then you drag waypoints, set your speed and fuel burn, and check weather and tides along the way.
Open this route in the plannerFrequently asked questions
How far is Jebel Ali from Houston by sea?
About 9,656 nautical miles (17,883 km / 11,112 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Houston to Jebel Ali?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 67d 1h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 40d 6h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 20d 3h. Add margin for weather, currents, and stops.
How is this distance calculated?
It is computed over the open Eurostat global shipping-lane network, the same kind of network freight routing tools use. It is a realistic planning estimate, not a navigation product: your sailed distance will vary with weather routing, draft, and the exact harbors you use.
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