UAE says second oil pipeline bypassing Strait of Hormuz is about 50% complete
The Facts
- ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber said the UAE's second crude pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is about 50% complete.
- The pipeline is intended to bypass the Strait of Hormuz by routing exports through Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.
- The project is expected to double ADNOC's export capacity through Fujairah and is targeted for operation by 2027.
- The UAE has accelerated construction of the pipeline during the current conflict and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Multiple reports say Iran has largely kept the Strait of Hormuz closed to non-Iranian vessels since the conflict escalated in late February, disrupting a key route for global oil and gas shipments.
- Al Jaber said that even if the conflict ended immediately, it would take at least four months for oil flows through Hormuz to recover to 80% of pre-conflict levels, and full flows would not return before 2027.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is severe enough, and likely persistent enough, that accelerating an alternate export route through Fujairah is a consequential response rather than a speculative hedge.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the broader economic consequences of conflict-driven infrastructure shifts, versus the UAE’s practical push for export redundancy and strategic self-reliance.
Context
Why is the UAE building this pipeline?
The pipeline is meant to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz by expanding export capacity through Fujairah, which lies outside the strait. UAE officials said the project is being accelerated as current shipping disruptions have highlighted the risk of depending on a single maritime chokepoint CNBC,Khaleej times,Emirates24|7.
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter beyond the UAE?
The strait is a major route for global oil and gas trade, so disruptions there affect more than Gulf producers. Several reports say the current closure has pushed up energy prices and inflation and raised concerns about wider economic fallout GMA Network,GEO TV,gCaptain.
What remains uncertain?
The timing of a full recovery in Hormuz traffic remains unclear. Al Jaber said that even if the conflict ended now, flows would recover only gradually, with full pre-conflict levels not expected until the first or second quarter of 2027 Independent,gCaptain,قناة العربية.
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