Six Saudi Tankers Shun Bab el-Mandeb for a Rare Route Around Africa, Adding at Least Two Weeks

Six Saudi oil tankers have moved away from the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint and, according to ship-tracking data, appear to be embarking on an unusual voyage around Africa. Bloomberg reported on Friday, 31 July 2026, that two empty very large crude carriers, Hazm and Dilam, are signalling Gibraltar, while four others, Ghinah, Laynah, Salam and Burqan, are indicating South Africa's Durban or Algoa Bay. The vessels are owned by Saudi Arabia's national shipping company Bahri, which did not immediately respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.

Bypassing the shorter Bab el-Mandeb route in favour of the safer trip around Africa will add at least two weeks to the tankers' journeys. Saudi Arabia has been diverting some Asia-bound crude flows from its Red Sea export port of Yanbu to Egypt's Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean coast, where it is exploring a new pricing mechanism for buyers.

According to data from Kpler, 26 commodity vessels crossed Bab el-Mandeb in either direction on Thursday, compared with 27 the previous day, while only two ships visibly transited the Strait of Hormuz. The only crude to leave via the chokepoint was Russian, totalling about 770,000 barrels. Five laden very large crude carriers are currently idling off Sidi Kerir.