6 Saudi-flagged oil carriers reroute around Africa, avoiding Bab el-Mandeb

Six Saudi-flagged very large crude carriers (VLCCs) sailing in ballast have turned away from the Bab el-Mandeb route and are heading south through the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic said Tuesday.

MarineTraffic wrote on US social media platform X that the first Automatic Identification System (AIS) destination changes for five of the six vessels were recorded July 30 as the tankers continued southward.

The Ghinah and Laynah updated their destinations to Durban, South Africa, while the Burqan initially signaled Durban before switching to Algoa Bay and later Port Elizabeth.

The Dilam and Hazm initially listed Gibraltar as their destinations. The Hazm subsequently changed its destination to Durban at 2220GMT on July 31, according to the platform.

The Salam was the sixth tanker identified among the group and was also signaling a destination in South Africa.

The vessels are sailing without cargo after completing previous voyages to Asia and appear to be routing around the Cape of Good Hope instead of entering the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The longer route around southern Africa could add at least two weeks to the journey compared with passage through Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea.

The diversions come amid increased security concerns after Yemen’s Houthi group threatened vessels linked to Saudi ports, prompting some shipowners to reassess voyages through the strategic waterway.

Bab el-Mandeb, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and serves as a major route for vessels traveling between Asia, the Middle East and Europe through the Suez Canal.