Kpler has launched a new Middle East vessel detections dataset, giving you a complementary view of loading activity across the Middle East Gulf, where dark vessel activity has been on the rise.
Using satellite imagery, the dataset captures liquids tankers at berths and terminals, including vessels that are not broadcasting AIS. In August, 51% of recorded detections across non-Iranian Middle East berths were vessels with no AIS signal at the time of the image.
Detections provide an early indicator of activity. They can show that a vessel of a certain size was present at a berth at a particular moment, even before its identity or cargo is known. Kpler Flows remains the more precise, reconciled picture, identifying the vessel, product and volume as the wider evidence becomes available.
The two datasets are designed to work together: detections flag activity early; Flows confirms and enriches the picture.
With coverage from 1 January 2026, the dataset allows you to:
Track observed berth activity over time
Identify patterns and changes in loading activity, rather than relying on individual snapshots
Add an independent physical observation to your analysis when AIS visibility is limited
Access the data
The dataset will be available as a CSV and will be distributed daily by email. We are also working towards bringing vessel detections into an interactive dashboard in the Kpler terminal.
For details on satellite coverage, vessel detection, interpretation and how observations are reconciled with Kpler activity, see the full methodology: