The Claimant leased forty containers to the Defendant for operations at Sohar Port from 14 March 2025. The Agreement fixed a free period of seven days per container and a demurrage rate of OMR 25 per container per day thereafter. The Defendant retained the containers for an average of 91 days. The Claimant invoiced OMR 84,300 in demurrage. The Defendant refuses to pay, contending that port congestion caused by a Ministry directive constitutes force majeure.

Whether port congestion attributable to a Ministry directive amounts to force majeure sufficient to relieve the Defendant of liability for contractually agreed demurrage.

You appear for the Claimant. You must persuade the tribunal that force majeure is not made out and that the demurrage is contractually due.