Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. is expanding infrastructure as Gulf shipping disruptions continue during the regional conflict. | Photo Credit: Dado Ruvic

The United Arab Emirates will double its capacity to export crude oil bypassing the Strait of Hormuz by next year, as it seeks to reduce reliance on the shipping chokepoint.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. is accelerating the construction of a pipeline that runs to Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from the emirate’s media office posted on X. The company already operates a 1.5 million barrel-a-day pipeline from its oil fields to the port on the eastern coast, a link that has proven to be a lifeline for the country during the conflict.

Existing pipeline helps UAE maintain crude supplies

The existing pipeline has helped the UAE continue to supply markets even as Iran practically shut the normal route through the Strait of Hormuz soon after the war began at the end of February. The link, however, can carry less than half of Adnoc’s normal export volumes, likely affecting the country’s oil revenue.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the only major Gulf producers able to get significant quantities of crude to market during the war. State oil companies of both countries have quietly managed to ship some cargoes out of the Gulf in recent weeks, avoiding the Iranian blockade.

UAE boosts output plans after OPEC exit

Accelerating the pipeline’s construction also follows the UAE’s decision to exit the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Freed of the group’s production limits, the UAE has said it plans to increase output to meet a war-related boost in demand. Additional export capacity through Fujairah will give the country more options even after Hormuz reopens to shipping.

Infrastructure faces attacks during conflict

While the existing 252-mile (406-kilometer) pipeline to Fujairah hasn’t been targeted in the war, infrastructure at both ends has. Iranian drones hit a gas-processing facility near the pipeline’s starting point at Habshan, while at the other end, the port of Fujairah has sustained damage that’s temporarily disrupted shipments in multiple attacks during the conflict.

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Published on May 15, 2026