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Saudi Arabia’s $5 Oil Detour Is Expensive—and Worth It

News | 2026/08/08 01:00

Saudi Arabia’s $5 Oil Detour Is Expensive—and Worth It

The detour may add $5 per barrel

Saudi Arabia is rerouting its oil exports to Asia via Yanbu, Egypt's SUMED pipeline, and around the Cape of Good Hope. This may add around $5 per barrel and up to four weeks to the voyage:

This new route is not just a temporary workaround but a strategic asset that allows Saudi Arabia to avoid the economic damage caused by the closure of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb:

Aramco is now considering different pricing mechanisms as the oil prices no longer reflect the new logistics:

This $5 is not only the cost of disruption but also the price of having an alternative:

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