The approximately 1,200-kilometre pipeline links Saudi Arabia’s major oil-producing regions in the east with the Red Sea port of Yanbu on the western coast. It can transport around 4 to 5 million barrels of crude oil per day while allowing Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, the pipeline was damaged in drone attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, with some people also injured. Operations were suspended as a precaution following the attacks.
The disruption could affect up to 5% of global oil supplies if the suspension persists, according to an Arab media report.
Saudi authorities said the drones were launched from Iraq’s southeastern Maysan province, which lies near the Iranian border and has been associated with the presence of Iran-aligned armed groups.