On Oil Flow and Coral Enclosure: Climate Changes in the Red Sea.

This essay examines the complex dynamics of flow and enclosure in the Red Sea, focusing on two main narratives: the militarized flow of oil and the ecological enclosure of resilient coral reefs. It highlights how recent Houthi missile attacks from Yemen have disrupted oil shipping routes through the Red Sea, underscoring the region's geopolitical significance and the fragility of global fossil fuel supply chains amid ongoing climate and political crises. Concurrently, the Red Sea's unique coral ecosystems, particularly in the Gulf of Aqaba, exhibit exceptional heat resilience, prompting international scientific efforts and Saudi Arabia's ambitious reef restoration project near its planned city Neom on Shushah Island. While Saudi Arabia promotes this large-scale coral reefscaping initiative as a model for conservation and economic diversification, the essay notes tensions between these environmental ambitions and the Kingdom's continued status as a leading oil producer, raising questions about transparency, governance, and the broader implications of managing more-than-human flows in a climate-challenged world.