UAE Accelerates West-East Pipeline to Double Fujairah Capacity by 2027

The United Arab Emirates announced on Friday that it will accelerate construction of the West-East Pipeline project, aiming to double its crude oil export capacity through the port of Fujairah by 2027 and reduce reliance on the disrupted Strait of Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan directed the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, known as ADNOC, to fast-track the initiative during a meeting of the company's executive committee. The pipeline, already under construction, will transport crude from Abu Dhabi's oil fields to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Once operational, it will expand capacity beyond the current 1.8 million barrels per day handled by the existing Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, also called the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline.

The decision comes amid ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which nearly one-fifth of global oil shipments typically flow. The strait has been effectively closed since late February, following Iran's response to a U.S.-Israeli military campaign. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the acceleration supports ADNOC's efforts...