Kenya’s Saudi oil supplies face Red Sea risk as Houthis begin attacks on tankers

Kenya’s Saudi oil supplies face Red Sea risk as Houthis begin attacks on tankers
Kenya’s Saudi oil supplies face Red Sea risk as Houthis begin attacks on tankers - Malata-flagged oil tanker Agios Fanourios I sails through the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo: Mohammed Aty/REUTERS via DW)
Malata-flagged oil tanker Agios Fanourios I sails through the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo: Mohammed Aty/REUTERS via DW)

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With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, a disruption of the Bab al-Mandeb could further tighten global energy supplies and intensify pressure on oil-importing countries such as Kenya.

Kenya’s oil imports from Saudi Arabia under the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) deal face fresh disruption risks after Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Wednesday.
The attacks threaten a key alternative route for Saudi crude exports amid continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over the security of supplies from Saudi Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil giant involved in Kenya’s G-to-G arrangement.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted the Saudi tankers after they allegedly violated a maritime blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia.

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“We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named ENCELA and LAYLIA, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces,” Saree said.
He said the attacks involved ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, while claiming that fires broke out on the vessels.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors shipping activity in the region, separately said it had received a report of a tanker being struck.

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“The master of a tanker reports being struck by an unknown projectile which has caused a fire onboard,” UKMTO said.
The attacks come as Saudi Arabia seeks to maintain oil flows through alternative routes via the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel war on Iran.
The Bab al-Mandeb is a major global shipping chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and connecting the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal.
At its narrowest point, the strait is only 29 kilometres wide.
About 4.1 billion barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products passed through the waterway in 2024, accounting for roughly five per cent of global volumes.
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, a disruption of the Bab al-Mandeb could further tighten global energy supplies and intensify pressure on oil-importing countries such as Kenya.
Consequently, the benchmark Brent crude prices rose above $95 (Sh12,284) per barrel on Thursday, marking a fifth consecutive session of gains as fears of wider supply disruptions mounted.

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