Saudi Arabia resumes crude exports through East-West pipeline

Saudi Arabia has resumed loading crude tankers at Yanbu after restarting its East-West pipeline, which was shut this month after suffering damage. The line moves oil from producing areas in the kingdom’s east across the country to the Red Sea, where it can be exported from Yanbu rather than relying solely on Gulf ports. That makes it a valuable backup route for a major oil exporter and improves the market’s confidence that Saudi barrels can reach customers. The renewed loadings show that the route is functioning again, though they do not by themselves mean the pipeline has returned to its previous operating level.