Attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Medina Region

Darwin, November 10: Saudi Arabia’s key East-West oil pipeline has come under attack. The attack took place on Monday in the country’s Medina region, state media reported. The incident triggered a minor fire, which was quickly brought under control. A source at Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said there were no casualties and no disruption to the pipeline’s operations. (Reuters)

The pipeline, which stretches approximately 1,200 kilometres, runs through the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. It had to be temporarily shut down for several days following a drone attack last September. Saudi Arabia blamed armed groups in Iraq for that attack.

Amid disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is transporting around 4 million barrels of crude oil per day through this pipeline to the port of Yanbu. This volume accounts for approximately 4 percent of global daily oil supplies.

The pipeline is strategically important for Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter. While the closure of shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz has severely affected oil exports from neighbouring countries, the alternative route has helped Saudi Arabia avoid a more significant impact.

Meanwhile, Syria has said it has no plans to send troops to support the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani made it clear that no Syrian troops are currently deployed in Yemen and that the government has no plans to send forces there in the near future.

Speaking at a press conference, al-Shaibani said, “No troops have been deployed in Yemen, and there are no plans to deploy troops there in the near future.”

A few days earlier, sources in Yemen had told the French news agency AFP that Syrian troops were stationed in Yemen and Saudi Arabia to support the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition is fighting the Houthi rebels, who are allied with Iran.

Source: Reuters