Saudi ships avoid Houthi blockade by rerouting around Africa

Six Saudi-operated tankers have diverted around Africa, adding at least two weeks to their journeys, to avoid a Houthi-declared blockade in the Red Sea, ship-tracking data show.

Last month, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen warned they would target any Saudi shipping trying to transit the Bab al Mandeb point at the southern end of the Red Sea.

The ships’ route shows them leaving the Gulf of Aden near the coast of Oman and heading down the coast of East Africa, with several showing South African ports as their destination, according to vessel-tracking service MarineTraffic.

One is showing Gibraltar as its next port.

All the ships are shown as “in ballast” meaning they are not carrying oil. Several appear to have been returning to Saudi ports from Asia when they changed course. A Saudi bulk carrier is in the same group of ships, now sailing between the Kenyan coast and the Seychelles.

Using the long route around Africa and through the Suez Canal to return to Saudi ports on the Red Sea normally adds some 15 days to the journey.

Traffic through the Bab al Mandeb Strait has been close to normal since the Houthis declared their blockade on July 20, but Saudi ships have avoided the route or in some cases turned off their ship-identifying (AIS) signals, according to shipping sources.

The Houthis declared the blockade in retaliation for Saudi efforts to stop flights and commerce entering parts of Yemen controlled by the group.

-CNN