Saudi-Arabia halts oil exports in Red Sea lane after Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia said it is ‘temporarily halting’ all oil shipments through Red Sea strait after an alleged attack on two of its ships by suspected Houthi rebels.

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the Houthis attacked two Saudi vessels, one of which sustained minor damage.Meanwhile, UAE has strongly condemned Houthis' attack .

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in a statement said that the attack is an act of terrorism which has jeopardised the international navigation. 

The statement confirms the continued threat of the Houthi terrorist militias to the freedom of navigation and world trade in the Red Sea.

Tankers heading



from the Middle East through the Suez Canal to Europe pass near the shores of Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthi rebels for the last three years.

Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashed Al-Zayani, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, has also strongly condemned Houthis' attack on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, describing the act as 'heinous' and reflects the great threat represented by the Houthi group on the freedom of navigation and the world trade in the Red Sea.

"The attack is an act of terrorism that has threatened the regional security and peace," he said in a statement, released by Saudi Press Agency.