Strait of Hormuz Disrupted, Saudi Arabia Exports Oil from the Red Sea

Riyadh, Kompas.com — Saudi Arabia is redirecting shipments of millions of barrels of crude oil to Red Sea ports, in an effort to shield global energy supplies amid disruptions in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil trade routes. The move is being executed by the national oil company Saudi Aramco after conflicts in the Middle East region slowed or halted some oil shipments via the Strait of Hormuz. Vessel tracking data shows exports from Saudi Arabia’s western coast rising sharply over the past few days. The rerouting has become a central part of Saudi Arabia’s strategy to maintain global oil flows when the main Gulf route is disrupted. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping lane for world energy trade, with about one-fifth of global oil supplies typically passing through the narrow channel each day. However, conflicts involving Iran and rising security tensions in the region have hampered tanker traffic on that route. Reuters, citing a report on Saturday 7 March 2026, said the disruptions have reduced exports from major Gulf ports such as Ras Tanura due to heightened security risks. In response, Aramco has begun redirecting some of its oil exports via alternative routes, namely to western Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea-facing ports. Yanbu port has become a key hub in Saudi Arabia’s oil export strategy. Quoting Daily News Egypt, tanker tracking data show five VLCCs loaded about 10 million barrels of oil from Yanbu in the first four days of March. This surge in activity has driven a sharp rise in Red Sea oil exports, with average shipments from the region increasing to around 2.5 million barrels per day, well above February’s average of about 786,000 bpd.