Why Is the Saudi East West Oil Pipeline Considered a Strategic Target for Sana a

The “East-West” pipeline, which the Sana’a forces resumed targeting today, Saturday, represents one of the most important crude oil transport routes in Saudi Arabia, as it links the production areas in the east of the Kingdom to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, which allows transporting oil to the western coast and exporting it without passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and that makes it a strategic target.
Exclusive — Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
The construction of the line, known as “Petroline,” began in 1981, during the Iraq-Iran war, to provide an alternative route for Saudi oil exports amid the risks of targeting tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and it entered service in 1982.
The line extends about 1,200 kilometers, from Abqaiq in the Eastern Region to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, passing entirely within Saudi territory.
It transports oil from the production and processing areas to the refineries, storage facilities, and export stations on the western coast.
The system consists of two parallel lines with diameters of 56 and 48 inches, and includes 11 pumping stations and two pressure reduction stations.
The larger line was dedicated to transporting crude oil, while the smaller line was used in previous stages to transport natural gas liquids before it was converted again to transporting crude to enhance the operational capacity of the system.
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A Capacity Reaching 7 Million Barrels Per Day:
The operational capacity of the line rose from about 5 million barrels per day in previous stages to about 7 million barrels per day in the year 2026, after the disruption of export movement from the eastern ports of the Kingdom.
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An Alternative Outlet to the Strait of Hormuz:
The strategic importance of the line lies in enabling Saudi Arabia to transport