Amid escalating disruptions in the Middle East, Egyptian authorities are promoting the SUMED pipeline as an alternative corridor for transporting Saudi crude oil to European markets.
According to Pipeline Journal, crude oil would be shipped by tanker from the Saudi port of Yanbu on the Red Sea to Egypt’s Ain Sokhna terminal. From there, the SUMED pipeline would carry the oil approximately 320 kilometers across Egypt to the Sidi Kerir terminal on the Mediterranean coast near Alexandria.
Operated by the Arab Petroleum Pipelines Company Suez Canal, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Egypt’s proposal aims to mitigate risks posed by ongoing security threats in the Red Sea, particularly near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime passage connecting the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal. Since late 2023, several commercial vessels have been targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, prompting shipping companies to adjust their routes.
Some operators have rerouted tankers around the Cape of Good Hope at Africa’s southern tip, a safer but significantly longer path that increases transportation costs and delivery times for energy shipments from the Middle East to Europe.
Egypt’s initiative positions the SUMED pipeline as a strategic alternative, potentially securing uninterrupted flow of Saudi crude to European markets despite regional geopolitical tensions.
