Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco has resumed crude oil loading operations at Ras Tanura, the Gulf region’s largest export terminal, after nearly four months of suspension. According to a Reuters report, two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) operated by Bahri, a Saudi shipping company, are currently loading crude at the terminal, while another vessel is waiting nearby. Each VLCC can carry about two million barrels of oil, signaling a restart of exports from one of Saudi Arabia’s key oil hubs.

The move comes as Middle Eastern oil and gas producers have recently increased production and exports amid hopes of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia’s decision to resume exports from within the Gulf aligns with this broader regional trend.

The resumption of operations at Ras Tanura indicates a potential stabilization in regional oil trade routes following months of disruption.