Eight countries share a coastline along the Red Sea in 2026, home to a combined population exceeding 150 million people across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, and Djibouti. Roughly 15 major ports line the waterway, with Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port standing as the busiest.
Red Sea Coast – Introduction
The Red Sea coast stretches across eight nations and thousands of kilometers of shoreline, forming one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors. From Saudi Arabia’s booming port city of Jeddah to Sudan’s Port Sudan, which briefly served as the country’s de facto capital during its civil war, the coastline hosts a mix of rapidly growing cities, ancient trading ports, and some of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet. Historically, only a fraction of the roughly 150 million people living in Red Sea-bordering countries actually reside directly along the coast itself, though that coastal population has grown steadily as desalination technology and economic development projects have made the shoreline more habitable.
2026 has proven a turbulent year for the region’s defining economic feature: global shipping traffic through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Years of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels drove traffic away from the corridor beginning in late 2023, and just as a fragile recovery began taking hold, a new Houthi naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia in July 2026 threatened to unwind months of gradual progress. Understanding the countries, cities, ports, and shipping patterns that define the Red Sea coast in 2026 requires looking at both the human geography of the region and the volatile maritime trade routes running through it.
The eight nations sharing this coastline could hardly be more different from one another economically and politically, ranging from wealthy Gulf states investing billions in coastal tourism megaprojects to conflict-affected countries where the coast itself has become a strategic military and humanitarian lifeline. That diversity makes the Red Sea coast one of the more complex regions to summarize in a single set of statistics, since a figure that reflects booming development in one country may sit alongside a very different reality just a few hundred kilometers down the same coastline.
Red Sea Coast – Interesting Facts
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Countries Bordering the Red Sea | 8 (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, Djibouti) |
| Combined Population of Bordering Countries | More than 150 million |
| Major Ports on the Red Sea | Approximately 15 |
| Busiest Red Sea Port | Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia |
| Global Trade Share Normally Passing Through (Pre-Crisis) | 12% to 16% |
| Current Trade Share (Amid Ongoing Disruption) | Below 9% |
| Longest National Red Sea Coastline | Eritrea (2,234 km) |
| Shortest National Red Sea Coastline | Israel (14 km) |
Source: Nations Online Project, Red Sea coastal country demographic studies, Coface trade analysis
These interesting facts about the Red Sea coast highlight just how disproportionately important this relatively narrow waterway has become to global commerce relative to its size. With around 15 major ports distributed across eight countries and 12% to 16% of global trade normally passing through in ordinary conditions, the Red Sea punches well above its geographic footprint in economic significance.
The gap between Eritrea’s 2,234-kilometer coastline and Israel’s 14-kilometer stretch illustrates how unevenly the shoreline is distributed among the bordering nations, even though every one of the eight countries depends on Red Sea access for trade, tourism, or strategic military positioning in some form.
That uneven distribution also shapes how each country approaches its coastal development priorities. Nations with extensive coastlines, like Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, have far more geographic room to build multiple port facilities and tourism zones, while countries with only narrow slivers of shoreline, like Jordan and Israel, have concentrated intense development within a small footprint, making every kilometer of coast disproportionately valuable to their national economies.
Countries and Coastline Along the Red Sea in 2026
| Country | Red Sea Coastline (km) |
|---|---|
| Eritrea | 2,234 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2,000 |
| Egypt | 1,600 |
| Sudan | 853 |
| Yemen | 700 |
| Djibouti | 314 |
| Jordan | 26 |
| Israel | 14 |
Source: Peer-reviewed Red Sea coastal geography and demographic research
The Red Sea’s coastline is shared unevenly among its eight bordering nations, with Eritrea and Saudi Arabia together accounting for well over half of the total shoreline. Eritrea’s 2,234 kilometers makes it the longest single national coastline on the Red Sea, stretching from the Sudanese border in the north down through the Dahlak Archipelago to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait region near Djibouti.
At the opposite end, Jordan and Israel control only tiny slivers of coastline, just 26 kilometers and 14 kilometers respectively, concentrated entirely around the Gulf of Aqaba. Despite that limited geographic footprint, both countries have built major port and tourism infrastructure, Aqaba and Eilat, within those short stretches, reflecting how even a small coastal foothold on the Red Sea carries outsized economic value for landlocked-adjacent economies seeking direct maritime access.
Sudan’s 853-kilometer coastline and Yemen’s 700-kilometer stretch round out the middle of the distribution, each hosting historically significant trading ports that predate modern national borders by centuries. Djibouti’s comparatively modest 314-kilometer coastline nonetheless punches well above its size in strategic importance, since the country sits directly astride the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow southern gateway through which the vast majority of Red Sea shipping traffic must pass on its way to or from the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.
Major Cities and Population Along the Red Sea Coast in 2026
| City/Region | Country | Population (Most Recent Data) |
|---|---|---|
| Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | ~4 million |
| Port Sudan (Red Sea State) | Sudan | 1,482,053 (state); 547,260 (metro, 2025) |
| Red Sea Governorate (capital Hurghada) | Egypt | 410,229 (January 2024) |
| Aqaba Governorate | Jordan | 200,800 (2026) |
| Northern Red Sea Region (capital Massawa) | Eritrea | 897,454 |
| Southern Red Sea Region (capital Assab) | Eritrea | 398,073 |
Source: National census bureaus, Wikipedia-compiled government population data
Jeddah remains the undisputed population center of the Red Sea coast, with roughly 4 million residents making it not only Saudi Arabia’s largest Red Sea city but also the primary gateway for pilgrims traveling to Mecca and Medina. Port Sudan, the capital of Sudan’s Red Sea State, has taken on outsized national importance in recent years, briefly functioning as Sudan’s de facto seat of government between April 2023 and January 2026 amid the country’s ongoing civil war, even as its metro population remains comparatively modest at just over 547,000.
Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate, anchored by the resort city of Hurghada, has grown rapidly in recent decades, climbing from under 10,000 residents in 1937 to more than 410,000 by January 2024, a transformation driven almost entirely by tourism development along the coast. Jordan’s Aqaba Governorate, the country’s sole outlet to the sea, reached 200,800 residents in 2026, with 86% of that population classified as urban, reflecting how concentrated Jordan’s coastal development has become within its narrow 26-kilometer stretch of shoreline.
Eritrea’s two Red Sea regions present a study in contrasts. The Northern Red Sea region, centered on the historic port city of Massawa, holds nearly 900,000 residents, while the more sparsely populated Southern Red Sea region, anchored by the port of Assab and extending across much of the arid Danakil Desert, is home to fewer than 400,000 people despite stretching more than 500 kilometers along the coast. That population gap reflects the harsher, more remote terrain found in the southern stretch compared to the historically more developed and accessible northern coastline.
Red Sea Ports and Global Trade in 2026
| Port | Country | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Jeddah Islamic Port | Saudi Arabia | Busiest port on the Red Sea |
| Port Sudan | Sudan | Handles ~90% of Sudan’s international trade |
| Sokhna Port | Egypt | New semiautomated container terminal opened January 2026 |
| Aqaba | Jordan | Jordan’s only maritime trade outlet |
| Massawa & Assab | Eritrea | Historic Red Sea trading ports |
Source: Journal of Commerce, national port authority statements
Among the roughly 15 major ports scattered along the Red Sea, Jeddah Islamic Port stands out as the busiest, serving both as Saudi Arabia’s primary commercial gateway and as the logistical entry point for millions of religious pilgrims each year. Port Sudan carries a different kind of importance, functioning as Sudan’s near-exclusive maritime connection to global trade and handling approximately 90% of the country’s international commerce, a concentration that has made the port especially critical during Sudan’s ongoing internal conflict.
Egypt’s newer Sokhna Port, located near the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, opened the country’s first semiautomated container facility in mid-January 2026, a development timed to help capture additional traffic as shipping lines began cautiously returning to the Red Sea route earlier this year. Bab el-Mandeb Strait Statistics covering the strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden show that under normal conditions, roughly one-quarter of global container trade and 10% to 12% of seaborne oil trade pass through this single chokepoint at the Red Sea’s southern entrance, underscoring how much of the region’s economic relevance depends on maintaining safe, uninterrupted passage through that narrow strait.
Smaller ports throughout the region, including Massawa and Assab in Eritrea, once served as vital trading posts connecting the Horn of Africa to markets across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, long before the Suez Canal existed. While their modern shipping volumes remain far smaller than Jeddah’s or Port Sudan’s, these historic ports continue to serve important regional functions, supporting fishing fleets, coastal trade with neighboring countries, and limited commercial shipping tied to Eritrea’s still-developing economy.
The Red Sea Shipping Crisis in 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Houthi Attacks on Shipping Begin | November 2023 |
| Container Traffic Decline Peak | Down 90% year-over-year, 2024 |
| Last Houthi Attack Before Pause | September 29, 2025 (Minervagracht) |
| New Houthi Naval Blockade of Saudi Arabia | July 20, 2026 |
| Bab el Mandeb Weekly Transits Before Blockade | 354 |
| Bab el Mandeb Weekly Transits After Blockade | 269 (-24%) |
Source: Lloyd’s List Intelligence, gCaptain, gCaptain Red Sea Brief reports
The Red Sea shipping crisis that began with Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in November 2023 has proven remarkably persistent, resisting a full recovery even during periods of relative calm. Container shipping traffic through the Suez Canal fell by as much as 90% at the crisis’s 2024 peak, as major carriers including MSC, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd suspended transits entirely and rerouted their fleets around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. A fragile calm followed the September 29, 2025 attack on the vessel Minervagracht, the last confirmed Houthi strike before the group announced a suspension of maritime operations roughly six weeks later.
That calm proved temporary. On July 20, 2026, the Houthis imposed a new naval blockade specifically targeting Saudi Arabia, sending Bab el Mandeb weekly vessel transits tumbling from 354 to 269, a 24% decline, in the blockade’s immediate aftermath. Strait of Hormuz Importance Statistics covering the Middle East’s other critical maritime chokepoint provide useful context for how interconnected the region’s shipping risks have become, since disruptions at Hormuz earlier in 2026 had actually temporarily boosted Bab el Mandeb traffic as some vessels rerouted, only for the new Saudi-focused blockade to reverse that gain almost entirely.
Suez Canal Recovery and Current Shipping Status in 2026
| Period | Suez Canal Weekly/Monthly Traffic | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 150 container transits (month) | -16.7% YoY, weakest January in a decade |
| Early January 2026 | 60% below pre-crisis (2023) levels | BIMCO data |
| Week of August 24-30, 2026 | 290 ships transited | +30% YoY, still 36% below normal |
| Week of August 17-23, 2026 | 302 Bab el Mandeb passings | 257 traceable via AIS |
Source: BIMCO, Lloyd’s List Intelligence Red Sea Brief (September 3, 2026), Global Maritime Hub
Despite the renewed July 2026 blockade, Suez Canal traffic has shown genuine signs of gradual recovery over the following weeks. Weekly transits through the canal’s northern chokepoint reached 290 ships during the week of August 24-30, 2026, a level not seen since early 2024 and representing a 30% increase year-over-year, even though that figure still sits 36% below pre-crisis normal levels. Earlier in the year, January 2026 had registered the weakest monthly container ship traffic of any January in the past decade, with just 150 transits, an 16.7% year-over-year decline, reflecting how slowly the recovery initially progressed even after Houthi attacks paused in late 2025.
Largest Oil Refinery Statistics tracking broader Middle East energy infrastructure disruptions add useful context to the tanker-specific volatility within the Red Sea traffic data, since oil shipments have followed a somewhat different recovery pattern than container traffic throughout the crisis. Analysts at Lloyd’s List noted that the disruption following the July 2026 blockade remained concentrated primarily in the tanker sector, with mainstream tanker transits dropping 42% in the blockade’s immediate aftermath, while wider container and bulk shipping segments proved comparatively more resilient and continued posting year-over-year gains even amid the renewed security concerns.
Economic Impact on Red Sea Coastal Nations in 2026
| Impact Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Freight Rate Increase (Shanghai-Rotterdam, 2023-2025) | +80% |
| Added Transit Time via Cape of Good Hope | ~10 days (total 40-50 days Asia-Europe) |
| Global Container Volume Growth (H1 2026) | +5.2% YoY, reaching 98.4 million TEU |
| Suez Canal Global Trade Share (Pre-Crisis to Current) | 12% down to below 9% |
Source: Coface trade analysis, Lloyd’s List Intelligence
The prolonged shipping disruption has carried real economic consequences for the nations lining the Red Sea, particularly Egypt, whose Suez Canal toll revenue represents a significant source of foreign currency earnings. With the canal’s share of global maritime traffic falling from roughly 12% to below 9% since the crisis began, and freight rates between major Asian and European ports climbing 80% between 2023 and 2025, the disruption has rippled well beyond the immediate shipping industry into broader economic pressure on canal-dependent economies already managing separate fiscal challenges.
Even so, global shipping volumes overall have continued growing despite the regional disruption, with worldwide container volumes reaching 98.4 million TEU in the first half of 2026, up 5.2% year-over-year, showing that global trade has largely adapted around the Red Sea bottleneck through longer Cape of Good Hope routings rather than experiencing an outright contraction. For the coastal nations most dependent on Red Sea traffic specifically, however, that broader resilience offers limited comfort, since ships rerouting around Africa generate no toll revenue for Egypt, no port calls in Saudi Arabia or Sudan, and none of the economic activity that direct Red Sea transits would otherwise support.
Red Sea Coast Statistics – FAQ
How many countries border the Red Sea?
Eight countries border the Red Sea: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea, Israel, Jordan, and Djibouti.
What is the combined population of Red Sea-bordering countries?
The combined population of the eight bordering countries exceeds 150 million people, though only a fraction live directly along the coastline itself.
Which country has the longest Red Sea coastline?
Eritrea has the longest Red Sea coastline at 2,234 kilometers, followed closely by Saudi Arabia at 2,000 kilometers.
What is the busiest port on the Red Sea?
Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia is the busiest port on the Red Sea, serving both commercial trade and religious pilgrimage traffic to Mecca and Medina.
How much global trade normally passes through the Red Sea?
Under normal conditions, 12% to 16% of global trade passes through the Red Sea and Suez Canal corridor, though that share has fallen below 9% amid ongoing shipping disruptions.
What caused the current Red Sea shipping crisis?
Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, which began in November 2023, triggered widespread rerouting away from the Red Sea, with a renewed naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia imposed in July 2026.
Is Suez Canal traffic recovering in 2026?
Yes, gradually. Weekly transits reached 290 ships by late August 2026, up 30% year-over-year, though still 36% below pre-crisis normal levels.
Which city is the largest population center on the Red Sea coast?
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with roughly 4 million residents, is the largest city directly on the Red Sea coast.
How much longer does the Cape of Good Hope route take compared to the Suez Canal?
Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope adds about 10 days to a voyage, extending total Asia-Europe transit time to roughly 40 to 50 days.
What role does Port Sudan play in Sudan’s economy?
Port Sudan handles approximately 90% of Sudan’s international trade, making it the country’s primary maritime gateway and, at times, its de facto seat of government during the civil war.
How does Djibouti’s role differ from other Red Sea countries?
Despite having a relatively short 314-kilometer coastline, Djibouti sits directly astride the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving it outsized strategic importance as the gateway virtually all Red Sea shipping traffic must pass through.
What share of global container trade normally passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait?
Under normal conditions, roughly one-quarter of global container trade and 10% to 12% of seaborne oil trade pass through this chokepoint at the Red Sea’s southern entrance.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
