UAE moves to bypass Strait of Hormuz in major oil export expansion
Oil extraction (Photo: Getty Images)
The United Arab Emirates will accelerate the construction of a new oil pipeline in order to double its export capacity through the port of Fujairah. The construction is to be completed by 2027, according to Reuters.
The Abu Dhabi government press office stated that this will significantly expand the ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, has instructed the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to speed up the construction of the West‑East pipeline project.
Abu Dhabi’s existing oil pipeline, also known as the Habshan‑Fujairah pipeline, can carry up to 1.8 million barrels per day and has proven extremely important as the UAE seeks to maximize exports from the Gulf of Oman coast, which lies just beyond the strait.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the only Gulf producers with pipelines that export oil beyond the strait, the agency notes. Oman has a long Gulf of Oman coastline, while Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain are almost entirely dependent on waterways for their shipments.
The new UAE pipeline should not be confused with Saudi Arabia’s East‑West pipeline, which the CEO of state oil giant Aramco, Amin Nasser, has called a critically important lifeline.
Fujairah and the neighboring port of Khor Fakkan have become lifelines, including for non‑oil trade, as the UAE relies heavily on food imports.
What are the latest developments around the Strait of Hormuz?
Italy has dispatched two special vessels for mine‑clearing in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Rome will not begin mine‑clearing until hostilities in the region subside.
Türkiye has also not ruled out taking part in clearing the strait after a possible peace agreement between Iran and the US.
Meanwhile, Iran has deployed small submarines in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran emphasized that these small submarines are meant to act as an invisible guardian of the Strait of Hormuz amid a series of failed peace agreements between Tehran and Washington.
