Qatar Warns Bab al-Mandeb Closure Would Be 'Catastrophic' for Global Trade

Qatar has cautioned that any closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait would carry "catastrophic" consequences for world trade and energy markets, as Iran-backed Houthi forces widen their footprint along Yemen's Red Sea coastline.

"The world is suffering enough with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, so we cannot also afford to add the Bab al-Mandeb into that equation," foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi told reporters.

A gateway between two seas

Bab al-Mandeb — Arabic for "Gate of Tears" — sits between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African side. It marks the southern entry to the Red Sea and is the principal route for vessels heading from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal.

At its narrowest, the strait spans roughly 29 km. Yemen's Perim island, also called Mayyun, splits the passage into two shipping channels. To the north lie the Hanish Islands, positioned between the Yemeni ports of Hodeidah and Mocha, while the coastal town of Dhubab sits close to the strait — all points of strategic value to anyone seeking to control or disrupt traffic there.

The Houthis already hold Hodeidah, which they have used as a launchpad for attacks on Red Sea shipping. Their reported advance towards Mocha, Dhubab, Perim and the Hanish Islands could bring them nearer to one of the world's busiest maritime corridors.

Why the strait matters

Bab al-Mandeb is among the globe's key maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea and Suez Canal with the Indian Ocean. Ships using it can move between Asia and Europe without taking the far longer route around southern Africa.

Energy cargoes make the passage especially significant. Petroleum volumes transiting Bab al-Mandeb accounted for about 7% of global oil output in June, according to Kpler data. The route also matters greatly to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, which the Houthis have declared a maritime blockade against — deepening concerns over shipping security in and around the Red Sea.

Sustained disruption would therefore affect the movement of crude, refined products and other commodities between the Gulf, Asia and Europe.

The cost of a shutdown

A full or prolonged closure would push many vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, forcing them around the Cape of Good Hope. That detour can add weeks to voyages and drive up fuel, insurance and freight expenses, while delaying deliveries and straining global supply chains.

The effects of such disruption are already familiar. Since late 2023, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have led major carriers and oil companies — among them Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd and BP — to reroute vessels around Africa. A fresh escalation around Bab al-Mandeb could revive those disruptions at a larger scale.

The fallout would extend well beyond Yemen. Ships carrying oil and other goods would face longer, costlier journeys, with higher expenses potentially passed on to businesses and consumers — the reason Qatar has described a shutdown of the waterway as potentially catastrophic.