The United Arab Emirates has decided to accelerate construction of a new West-East oil pipeline, aiming to double export capacity through the port of Fujairah. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheik Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed has instructed ADNOC to complete construction by 2027.
The move is aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, which is regularly threatened by regional tensions. The UAE already has an operating pipeline that delivers 1.8 million barrels of oil per day to the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Still, the new project will significantly increase that volume.
While the UAE and Saudi Arabia are developing alternative land routes, other countries in the region – Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and Bahrain – continue to be almost entirely dependent on maritime transport through the Strait of Hormuz.
