Pakistan asks Saudi Arabia for Yanbu route after Hormuz closure threat
“Pakistan has sought a backup oil supply pathway through Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port after Iran’s Hormuz Strait closure announcement.”
Key points
- Pakistan has sought a backup oil supply pathway through Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port after Iran’s Hormuz Strait closure announcement.
- Islamabad says it is monitoring the supply chain daily, while Saudi Arabia has pledged emergency energy support and assured at least one crude vessel for dispatch.
Pakistan has approached Saudi Arabia to facilitate an alternative oil supply route through the Red Sea port of Yanbu after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime corridor for global energy shipments.
The request was made during a meeting in Islamabad between Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, according to a statement issued by the petroleum division.
The minister said Pakistan’s oil and energy supplies largely transit the Strait of Hormuz, and the government is monitoring the situation daily to safeguard the national supply chain. He stressed that support from close partner countries—particularly Saudi Arabia—would be crucial in maintaining continuity during heightened regional volatility.
Saudi authorities, the minister said, have indicated that supplies can be supported via Yanbu, and one crude vessel has been assured for dispatch to the port to lift oil for Pakistan. The Saudi envoy reiterated that the Kingdom would stand by Pakistan and provide emergency energy support if needed.
The development follows Iranian statements warning that the waterway had been shut and that vessels attempting transit could be targeted, a move that could disrupt a significant share of global oil flows and intensify market pressures.
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