GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Sep 14, 2026

Red Sea

The Red Sea is the sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, linking the Suez Canal in the north with the Bab al-Mandab strait in the south.

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Last updated: 14 September 2026

Source: Frachtportal-News «Neue Eskalation am Roten Meer» (14.09.2026); U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Advisory 2026-006; Suez Canal Authority

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Definition & Explanation

The Red Sea is the sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, linking the Suez Canal in the north with the Bab al-Mandab strait in the south. Around 2,250 kilometres long, it forms the core of the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe: in normal times roughly twelve per cent of world trade and a large share of Europe's container imports from the Far East pass through it. The littoral states are Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan. The route has two chokepoints and both are vulnerable: the Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandab. Since attacks on merchant vessels began in late 2023, many carriers have periodically avoided the passage and routed around the Cape of Good Hope instead - adding roughly ten to fourteen days depending on the trade lane, plus fuel and higher insurance premiums. For freight forwarders, therefore, it is not only schedules that matter but war-risk surcharges, transhipment ports and whether a booking is routed via Suez at all. Not to be confused with the Arabian Sea, which lies east of the peninsula.

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