Saudi oil tankers are disguising their destinations by signalling Egypt and the Suez Canal instead of home ports to avoid Houthi attacks

Tankers entering the Red Sea to load Saudi oil are signalling Egypt and the Suez Canal as their destinations instead of Saudi ports, as shipping companies try to avoid attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement.

The shift comes after the Iran-backed group announced a blockade of Saudi ports in late July and attacked vessels linked to the kingdom in the Red Sea, according to Bloomberg's report.

The Houthis have since threatened to expand attacks to Saudi ships in the northern Red Sea, where Saudi Aramco has diverted more oil cargoes to seek safer routes out of the region.

Saudi oil tankers change course

One example is the Sea Majesty, which approached the Suez Canal this week with a draft indicating it had likely loaded oil inside the Red Sea while sailing "dark," meaning its tracking transponder was switched off.