The Suez Canal has absorbed a surge of diverted Saudi crude since Houthi forces declared a Bab el-Mandeb blockade on 23 July 2026, with canal traffic rising 106% week-on-week to 1.06 million barrels a day. Opened in 1869 and running 193 kilometres between Port Said and Suez, it has been the primary shortcut linking Asian and Middle Eastern crude to European and Mediterranean refiners for over 150 years. It remains the default fallback route whenever the southern Red Sea approach turns dangerous, though rerouted cargoes take longer and often need smaller vessels than a direct run through Bab el-Mandeb. (Provisional seed background; full synthesis pending.)

Common Questions

Why has Suez Canal traffic increased in July 2026?

Saudi Arabia rerouted crude exports through the Suez Canal after Houthi forces declared a Bab el-Mandeb blockade on 23 July 2026, and weekly canal traffic rose 106% to 1.06 million barrels a day.Source: Lowdown reporting

How long is the Suez Canal?

The Suez Canal runs about 193 kilometres between Port Said on the Mediterranean and Suez on the Red Sea.

What is the alternative to the Suez Canal for Saudi oil exports?

Saudi Arabia's main alternative is the SUMED pipeline, which carries crude overland from Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean, bypassing the canal entirely.Source: Lowdown reporting

How the World Sees Them

Egypt

Canal transit fees are a core hard-currency earner. Rising diverted traffic partly offsets years of Red Sea revenue lost to the Houthi threat. Higher volumes are welcome, but Cairo has no control over the underlying Bab el-Mandeb blockade that is driving the shift.

European refiners

The canal is the only realistic route for rerouted Saudi crude to reach Mediterranean buyers by sea. A reduced Ain Sokhna backfill through SUMED still tightens supply even as canal volumes rise.