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UAE pushes to break dependence on Hormuz

1 min Philippe Naggar

The United Arab Emirates is moving decisively to reduce its vulnerability to Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Abu Dhabi ordering the acceleration of a new pipeline project that would allow hydrocarbon exports to bypass the strategic - and currently disrupted - waterway.

The move is a direct response to the strategic crisis triggered by Iran's control of Hormuz since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic on 28 February © Mena Today 

The move is a direct response to the strategic crisis triggered by Iran's control of Hormuz since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic on 28 February © Mena Today 

The United Arab Emirates is moving decisively to reduce its vulnerability to Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Abu Dhabi ordering the acceleration of a new pipeline project that would allow hydrocarbon exports to bypass the strategic - and currently disrupted - waterway.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a directive to state oil giant ADNOC to "accelerate the delivery of the project," according to the official press service, with completion now targeted for 2027.

The move is a direct response to the strategic crisis triggered by Iran's control of Hormuz since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic on 28 February. 

The strait, through which approximately one fifth of global hydrocarbon trade normally flows,  has become a choke point, disrupting Gulf exports, driving up insurance premiums, stranding tankers and sending oil prices surging.

For the UAE, which has already developed the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), a 370 kilometre overland route to the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, bypassing Hormuz entirely, the new pipeline represents a further layer of energy security architecture designed to ensure that Iranian leverage over the strait cannot hold Abu Dhabi's exports hostage.

Philippe Naggar

Philippe Naggar

Philippe Naggar is a French-Egyptian journalist. Based in Abu Dhabi, he covers news across the Middle East and the Gulf region. He previously lived for several years in Tehran, giving him a solid expertise on Iran

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