Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced that construction on a second pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is roughly halfway finished. The new artery, destined for the Fujairah port on the Gulf of Oman, is expected to double the emirate’s export capacity once operational in 2027.

The decision to accelerate the project follows Iran’s March blockade of the Hormuz waterway, which has already diverted more than a billion barrels of oil from Gulf producers. ADNOC’s CEO, Sultan Ahmed Al‑Jaber, noted that the existing Fujairah pipeline can handle 1.8 million barrels per day, but the new line will significantly ease pressure on that route.

Al‑Jaber warned that the blockade has exposed the vulnerability of global energy supply to a single chokepoint. He estimated that the strait’s closure has already cost UAE exporters a loss of 100 million barrels per week and could take until the first or second quarter of 2027 for flows to fully normalize, even if hostilities end.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the Strait of Hormuz’s strategic importance will wane as Gulf nations diversify their export routes. The new pipeline is seen as a key step in reducing reliance on the narrow corridor and safeguarding the flow of Middle Eastern hydrocarbons.

Together, the two pipelines will provide the UAE with a more resilient export infrastructure amid ongoing regional tensions and the broader geopolitical fallout from Iran’s blockade.