The world's leading oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, faced a sharp decline in its supplies to foreign markets in March 2026. According to analysts, the country's exports almost halved compared to the previous month, which was one of the most significant declines in recent times.

This was reported by Bloomberg, citing market monitoring data. If in February the average export level was approximately 6.67 million barrels per day, then in March this figure dropped to 3.33 million barrels per day. Thus, the country lost about half of its usual supply volumes.

The reasons for this decline are associated with serious logistical constraints. In particular, the closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant part of oil exports from the Persian Gulf region traditionally passes, played a key role. This has significantly complicated the transportation of raw materials to international markets.

However, according to the agency, the situation could have been even more critical. Saudi Arabia was able to quickly redirect part of its export flows towards the Red Sea. For this, an oil pipeline passing through the Arabian Desert was used, which allows oil to be transported bypassing blocked routes.

This pipeline has a capacity of about 5 million barrels per day and connects oil fields in the east of the country with oil refineries and ports on the Red Sea coast. Its length exceeds 1,200 kilometers, which makes it a strategic infrastructure facility in crisis conditions.

Thanks to this alternative route, exports from the western port of Yanbu have increased significantly. On some days in March, shipments from there reached 4.4 million barrels per day, while in February the average figure was only 0.79 million barrels per day. This indicates a sharp increase in the role of this direction in the country's export logistics.

Despite partial compensation for losses, significant volumes of oil remain blocked. According to estimates, about 55 million barrels of Saudi crude have accumulated in tankers in the Persian Gulf, which creates additional pressure on the market and the country's logistics system.

The situation surrounding Saudi Arabia's exports demonstrates how vulnerable the global energy infrastructure remains to geopolitical risks and transport restrictions. At the same time, the operational reorientation of flows confirms the importance of alternative routes to ensure the stability of oil supplies in the world.