Gulf States Expand Pipelines to Bypass Closed Strait of Hormuz

Following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran during a conflict with Israel and the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are coordinating to reduce their dependence on the maritime chokepoint. The International Energy Agency has characterized the resulting shipping halt as the largest supply disruption on record.

Saudi Arabia is currently utilizing its 1,200-km East-West pipeline to move up to 7 million barrels of oil per day to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Similarly, the UAE is using the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline to transport crude to the port of Fujairah, though the facility has been targeted by drone attacks since February. Iraq also resumed pumping through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to Türkiye on March 17 following a deal between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Regional officials are now exploring long-term resilience through expanded pipeline networks and interconnected corridors. Proposals include reviving the Basra-Aqaba pipeline, building an Iraq-Oman pipeline to Duqm, and developing new terminals at the Neom project. These efforts are coupled with UAE strategies to distribute military bases and strengthen partnerships with the United States to deter asymmetric threats from Iran.

Despite these bypass efforts, the region remains volatile. Tasnim News Agency reported that Iran is considering coordinated strikes against critical energy nodes, including the Yanbu pipeline and Fujairah facility, which could disrupt 32% of the global oil supply. Houthi forces are also reportedly considering a full closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.