• Egypt has proposed using the SUMED pipeline to help move Saudi crude to Europe.

• The route would bypass maritime disruptions affecting shipping in the Red Sea.

• The pipeline can transport up to 2.5 million barrels of oil per day across Egypt.

Amid growing disruptions tied to the latest conflict in the Middle East, Egypt is promoting the SUMED pipeline as an alternative route for transporting Saudi crude oil to European markets.

According to information reported March 3 by Pipeline Journal, Egyptian authorities are positioning the infrastructure as a transit corridor for oil shipments originating from Saudi Arabia. The pipeline runs across Egypt from the Ain Sokhna terminal on the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean coast.

Under the proposed setup, crude loaded at the Saudi port of Yanbu on the kingdom’s western coast would be shipped by tanker to Ain Sokhna. From there, the oil would enter the pipeline and be pumped roughly 320 kilometers across Egypt to the Sidi Kerir terminal near Alexandria.

Technical data show that the pipeline, operated by the Arab Petroleum Pipelines Company, has a capacity of about 2.5 million barrels per day. The company is owned by a consortium including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the pipeline is already used to move Gulf crude to the Mediterranean when tankers exceed the capacity limits of the Suez Canal.

Egypt’s proposal comes at a time of persistent tensions affecting maritime transport in the Red Sea, a key route for energy shipments between the Middle East and Europe.

Since late 2023, several commercial vessels have been targeted in the area by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The attacks have focused on ships passing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic gateway linking the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal.

Reuters reported that the incidents have forced a number of shipping and energy companies to adjust their routes across the region.

Some operators have chosen to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. While safer, that detour adds thousands of kilometers to voyages connecting Asia and the Middle East with European markets, increasing both transportation costs and delivery times.

Abdel-Latif Boureima