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Port-to-port sea distance

Ras Tanura to Aliaga distance

The sea distance from Ras Tanura (Saudi Arabia) to Aliaga (Turkey) is about 3,755 nautical miles (6,954 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal. At 12 knots that is about 13 days 1 hour at sea.

Distance

3,755 nm

6,954 km

Sea days @ 12 kn

13.0

13 days 1 hour

ECA miles

675 nm

18% of the route

Canals & straits

3

Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal

Sea days by speed

SpeedOne wayRound voyage
10 knots15.6 days31.3 days
11 knots14.2 days28.4 days
12 knots13.0 days26.1 days
13 knots12.0 days24.1 days
14 knots11.2 days22.4 days
15 knots10.4 days20.9 days

Steaming time only, with no allowance for weather, canal waiting or port time. The round voyage assumes the ship ballasts back on the same route.

Routes compared

Shortest route

3,755 nm

13.0 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · 675 nm in ECA

See it on the map

Via the Cape of Good Hope (avoiding Suez and the Red Sea)

11,825 nm+8,070 nm

41.1 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · Strait of Gibraltar · 1,676 nm in ECA

See it on the map
  • A fully laden VLCC is deeper than the Suez Canal's 20.1 m draft limit, so it either goes round the Cape of Good Hope or discharges part of its cargo into the SUMED pipeline first. For a laden VLCC the Cape routing of 11,825 nm is the one to use.
  • Since early 2024 many owners have kept their ships out of the Red Sea. Routing via the Cape of Good Hope adds 8,070 nm (about 28.0 days at 12 knots).

Voyage estimates by ship size

About this trade

Arabian Gulf & Red Sea → Europe & US crude. Westbound Gulf crude into the Mediterranean, North-west Europe and the US. Routing depends on draft and on the Red Sea: fully laden VLCCs go round the Cape, Suezmaxes can transit Suez.

Typical ship sizes
VLCC, Suezmax
Related benchmark routes
TD1 (MEG–USG VLCC), TD23 (MEG–Med Suezmax)

Questions

How far is Ras Tanura from Aliaga by sea?

The sea distance from Ras Tanura to Aliaga is about 3,755 nautical miles (6,954 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal.

How long does a tanker take to sail from Ras Tanura to Aliaga?

About 13 days 1 hour at 12 knots, or 11.2 days at 14 knots. That is steaming time only; add time for port calls, canal transits and weather.

Which canals and straits does the Ras Tanura–Aliaga route pass?

The shortest route passes the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez Canal. Alternative routings are listed above for ships that cannot or will not use them.

How much of the voyage is inside an Emission Control Area?

About 675 nm, or 18% of the voyage, is inside an ECA, where ships must burn 0.10% sulphur fuel or use a scrubber.

Terms on this page

Distances are calculated by Vessbook on a modelled global shipping-lane network for a tanker at 12 m draft, from berth area to berth area.

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