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From Syria to UAE, the race to bypass Strait of Hormuz is on

From Syria to UAE, the race to bypass Strait of Hormuz is on

Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 07/22/2026 - 18:46 A Houthi blockade against Saudi Arabian shipping underscores how new pipelines and export routes remain vulnerable A handout picture provided by energy giant Saudi Aramco shows one of its engineers at Yanbu refinery in Saudi Arabia's Medina province, on 16 January 2011 (Joe Lynch/Saudi Aramco/AFP) Off The Middle East is entering a pipeline-building boom from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman, as Arab oil producers rush to b

Full BriefGenerated 17d ago
What Happened
Arab oil producers are accelerating the construction of pipeline infrastructure to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint where Iran maintains a significant presence. The United Arab Emirates is currently expanding its export capacity via a second pipeline to the port of Fujairah, with completion targeted for 2027. Concurrently, Iraq signed an agreement with Syria in July to rehabilitate a pipeline connecting northern Iraqi oil fields to the Mediterranean port of Baniyas, a project reportedly supported by the United States and involving a consortium including Chevron and TI Capital.
Key Actors
  • ·
    United Arab Emirates(Gulf oil producer)Expanding pipeline infrastructure to Fujairah to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.
  • ·
    Iraq(OPEC oil producer)Partnering with Syria to rehabilitate a Mediterranean-bound pipeline to diversify export routes.
  • ·
    Saudi Arabia(Gulf oil producer)Utilizing the East-West Pipeline to export crude via the Red Sea and evaluating capacity expansion.
  • ·
    Iran(Regional power)Maintains a strategic presence at the Strait of Hormuz, influencing regional energy security calculations.
Why It Matters
The shift toward land-based pipeline infrastructure represents a strategic effort by Gulf states to mitigate the risk of supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has historically exerted influence over global energy flows. This reconfiguration of oil transit routes alters the regional economic landscape, potentially marginalizing states like Kuwait and Bahrain that lack similar bypass capabilities, while cementing the status of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as more secure energy suppliers.
Watch For
Monitor the 2027 completion date for the United Arab Emirates' second Fujairah pipeline and further developments regarding the Iraq-Syria pipeline rehabilitation project. Additionally, observe any official announcements from Saudi Arabia regarding the expansion of the East-West Pipeline's capacity, which currently handles approximately four million barrels per day.
Generated 17d ago · Based on full article
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This page aggregates and summarizes reporting from Middle East Eye. The Conflict Pulse does not author original reporting. Read the original source for full coverage.
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