Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
StraitYemen · Djibouti · Eritrea
The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait separates Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula from Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. It is about 26 km wide at its narrowest point.
Why the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait matters
Bab-el-Mandeb is the southern gateway to the Suez Canal: virtually all traffic between Asia and Europe via Suez must also transit this strait, making the two chokepoints inseparable. Security incidents in the surrounding waters have repeatedly forced carriers to divert around the Cape of Good Hope, adding roughly ten days and significant fuel cost to Asia–Europe rotations — a vivid demonstration of how a single narrow passage can reshape global schedules overnight.
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Major shipping routes via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
1328 of our covered port-to-port routes transit the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The most significant ones, ranked by carrier coverage at both ends:
| Route | Distance |
|---|---|
| Shanghai Hamburg | 10,842 nm |
| Shanghai Antwerpen | 10,569 nm |
| Hamburg Qingdao | 11,106 nm |
| Hamburg Hong Kong | 10,067 nm |
| Antwerpen Qingdao | 10,834 nm |
| Hamburg Ningbo | 10,728 nm |
| Antwerpen Hong Kong | 9,795 nm |
| Hamburg Singapore | 8,634 nm |
| Hamburg Kaohsiung | 10,304 nm |
| Antwerpen Ningbo | 10,456 nm |
| Shanghai Felixstowe | 10,517 nm |
| Antwerpen Singapore | 8,362 nm |
| Antwerpen Kaohsiung | 10,031 nm |
| Hamburg Bangkok | 9,449 nm |
| Hamburg Xiamen | 10,292 nm |
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connect?
The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Bordering countries: Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea.
How many shipping routes use the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait?
Among the 4950 port-to-port routes covered by Seadex, 1328 transit the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Why is the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait strategically important?
Bab-el-Mandeb is the southern gateway to the Suez Canal: virtually all traffic between Asia and Europe via Suez must also transit this strait, making the two chokepoints inseparable. Security incidents in the surrounding waters have repeatedly forced carriers to divert around the Cape of Good Hope, adding roughly ten days and significant fuel cost to Asia–Europe rotations — a vivid demonstration of how a single narrow passage can reshape global schedules overnight.