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How did the opening of the Suez Canal increase the importance of Bab el-Mandeb Strait?

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Cargo ships travel along the wide Suez Canal in Egypt, bordered by sandy desert on one side and greenery on the other. — Suez Canal Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 fundamentally transformed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into a site of immense global strategic importance. By creating a direct maritime link between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, the canal allowed trade between Asia and Europe to bypass the lengthy voyage around Africa.1

Because the Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as the essential gateway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, it became a critical chokepoint for this newly efficient trade route. In the modern era, its significance remains profound: it facilitates approximately one-fourth of global container trade and serves as the third-busiest chokepoint for the global oil trade, accounting for more than one-tenth of all seaborne oil shipments.1