Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has prompted oil-producing countries in the Gulf to accelerate plans for alternative export routes, with a series of pipeline projects announced or revived.
Here is a breakdown of the proposals.
Regional picture –
A total of 14.95 million barrels per day (mbd) of crude oil was exported through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Iran exported around 1.69 mbd and is expected to continue relying on Hormuz over the long term given its effective control of the waterway, Andrew Wilson of BRS Shipbrokers told AFP.
“Iran is just going to produce as much as it can, ship as much to China as it can. It’s not really such an issue,” he said.
Of the remaining 13.26 mbd, as much as 11.5 mbd could eventually be rerouted by maximising existing pipeline capacity and completing planned projects, according to official announcements and industry experts.
Saudi Arabia –
Before the war broke out in late February, Saudi Arabia transported around 2 mbd of crude through its East-West Pipeline linking Abqaiq, near the Gulf coast, with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, according to the IEA.
State oil giant Aramco said in March 2025 it had increased the pipeline’s capacity to 7 mbd, leaving up to 5 mbd of spare capacity.
Riyadh is also planning a further expansion of up to 2 mbd, according to the US-based Institute for Energy Research (IER).
The IER said it was “unclear” whether this would involve upgrades to the existing line or construction of a parallel pipeline.
The project could potentially be completed by 2030/2031, Wilson told AFP.
United Arab Emirates –
Before the conflict, the UAE exported around 1.1 mbd of crude through its Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), which links inland oil fields with the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
The IEA said the pipeline had a capacity of 1.8 mbd, leaving an additional 0.7 mbd available.
The UAE said in May it was fast-tracking construction of a second pipeline that would run parallel to the existing route before extending to the country’s northern coast, allowing crude produced north of Hormuz to bypass the strait.
The project would double export capacity through Fujairah and is expected to enter service next year, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
Iraq –
The US State Department said earlier in July that plans were under way to restore a major pipeline linking Iraq’s oil fields with Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
Washington is overseeing an international consortium “to execute the technical and financial aspects of this project”, which is expected to have an initial capacity of 2 mbd, the department said.
No timetable has been announced, however, and political and investment hurdles risk delaying the project, Wilson warned.
Kuwait and Bahrain –
Neither Kuwait nor Bahrain currently has a pipeline route that bypasses Hormuz.
However, both have recently held discussions with Saudi Arabia on a possible connection to its pipeline network, according to the IER.
