Global energy giant Vitol is facing severe operational disruptions as the United Arab Emirates has blocked all shipments to and from Port Sudan since August 7, preventing the world’s largest independent oil trader from accessing crucial crude supplies for its Fujairah refinery.
The blockade stems from escalating tensions between the UAE and Sudan’s army-led government, which severed diplomatic ties in May following drone strikes on Port Sudan by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Khartoum has accused Abu Dhabi of supporting the paramilitary group in Sudan’s devastating two-and-a-half-year civil war, allegations the Gulf state firmly denies.
The disruption has cut off Vitol’s supply chain for crude oil sourced from landlocked South Sudan, which typically transits through Port Sudan before reaching the company’s terminal in Fujairah, where it is processed into low-sulphur fuel for tankers. The impasse shows no signs of immediate resolution as diplomatic relations between the two nations remain fractured.
Source: newarab.com