Sanaa Says 198 Commercial Ships Cross Bab el-Mandeb in Five Days

By Staff, Agencies

Yemen’s Sanaa-based Ministry of Transport and Public Works said 198 commercial ships crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over five days, maintaining that international maritime traffic continues through the strategic waterway.

The ministry said the actual number of vessels could be higher because some ships switch off their tracking systems and therefore do not appear in its monitoring data.

According to the ministry, Bab el-Mandeb remains safe for international commercial shipping, while explicitly excluding Saudi vessels from that assurance. It said global supply chains continue to use the waterway despite the restrictions imposed on Saudi shipping.

The restriction has implications for Saudi oil exports. Crude loaded at the Red Sea port of Yanbu and destined for Asian markets would normally travel south through Bab el-Mandeb.

Shipping data firm Kpler has documented Saudi-linked tankers turning away from or delaying their approach to the strait, while cautioning that such movements alone do not establish that the route is impassable.

Saudi Arabia has alternative routes, although they face their own constraints. Yanbu cargoes can travel north toward the Suez Canal, while crude loaded at the kingdom’s Gulf terminals must pass through the disrupted Strait of Hormuz.

Damage to Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline earlier this month also disrupted supplies to Yanbu, prompting increased loadings at Gulf terminals and the cancellation of some cargoes destined for European buyers.

The ministry said it would continue monitoring maritime traffic and exchanging shipping data to support international navigation through Bab el-Mandeb.

The statement comes amid broader disruptions affecting key regional waterways and energy supply routes.