UAE fast-tracks pipeline project to bypass Strait of Hormuz amid regional tensions

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced plans to accelerate construction of a major oil pipeline project aimed at sharply increasing crude export capacity through Fujairah.

As rising regional tensions continue to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes amid ongoing instability linked to the Iran-US-Israel conflict, which has disrupted energy markets and raised concerns over the security of one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes.

According to reports, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan directed the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to fast-track work on the West-East Pipeline project during an executive committee meeting on Friday.

The new pipeline is expected to double the UAE’s ability to export crude oil through Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, allowing shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely. ADNOC said the project is currently under construction and is scheduled to become operational in 2027.

The UAE already operates the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), also known as the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, which can transport up to 1.8 million barrels of oil per day directly to Fujairah without passing through Hormuz.

At present, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are the only Gulf oil producers with infrastructure capable of exporting significant crude volumes outside the Strait of Hormuz. Countries including Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain remain heavily reliant on the strategic waterway for energy exports.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, handles nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments and is considered one of the most critical chokepoints in global energy trade.

The latest UAE decision follows continued disruptions in the region after Iran responded to a US-Israeli military campaign launched earlier this year, escalating fears of prolonged instability affecting international oil supplies.