UAE weighs third Strait of Hormuz bypass pipeline

· Oil & Gas · United Arab Emirates · Iran

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly planning a third crude export pipeline that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report on the plans. The UAE currently operates one crude export pipeline that avoids the strait and announced earlier this year that it was building a second. The proposed third line would further expand crude export capacity and reroute energy flows around Hormuz, reducing exposure to Iranian disruption at the chokepoint. The move is a direct response to the risk that the Iran war could interrupt tanker traffic through the strait, a route that carries a large share of the world's seaborne crude.

Why it matters：More bypass capacity would blunt the leverage of any Hormuz closure, shifting risk calculations for Gulf producers and the global buyers who depend on the strait.

Key points

  • The UAE already runs one Hormuz-bypassing crude export pipeline.
  • A second pipeline was announced earlier this year; a third is now reportedly being planned.
  • The goal is to cut exposure to Iranian disruption at the strait.

Sources (original reporting)

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