Saudi Arabia is increasingly using oil tankers and pipeline infrastructure to move crude north through the Red Sea as security risks continue near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

State-owned Saudi Aramco has increased shipments through Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir after Houthi militants began targeting vessels linked to crude shipments from Yanbu, one of Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea export terminals. Tankers operated by Sinokor Group, Dynacom, and DHT Management have reportedly been used to transport crude from Yanbu to Ain Sukhna in Egypt.

At Ain Sukhna, the crude is discharged and moved north through existing pipeline infrastructure before reaching the Mediterranean. The arrangement allows Saudi Arabia to continue moving oil while reducing the need for tankers to travel through the more exposed southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb area.

Saudi crude exports through the northern Red Sea have reportedly increased by about one-third to around 1.1 million barrels per day. The shift reflects how continuing security concerns in the Red Sea are influencing shipping routes, with oil exporters and vessel operators adjusting operations to reduce exposure to potential attacks while maintaining the movement of energy supplies.