Gulf countries’ plans to bypass Strait of Hormuz still far off, experts warn
Gulf countries are seeking alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz to reduce reliance on the strategic chokepoint amid regional tensions, but experts warn such plans remain distant. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have some pipeline capacity outside the strait, expanding infrastructure to fully bypass Hormuz would take time and face economic and political hurdles. Regional integration efforts are further hampered by fiscal pressures, logistical constraints, and longstanding economic rivalries among Gulf states.
- ▪The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime entry point to the Gulf, making it critical for oil and gas exports from the region.
- ▪Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pipelines that allow partial export capacity outside the strait, but these cover only a fraction of their total exports.
- ▪Experts say new pipeline and rail projects, such as the GCC rail network and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, face delays and political challenges.
- ▪Liquefied natural gas exports, dominated by Qatar, are especially dependent on the Strait of Hormuz.
- ▪Regional economic rivalries and budgetary pressures from the ongoing Middle East war are hindering coordinated infrastructure development.
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Gulf countries’ plans to bypass Strait of Hormuz still far off, experts warnSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxFaced with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the region’s Arab nations are looking for ways to bypass Tehran’s stranglehold on their exports.PHOTO: AFPPublished May 02, 2026, 09:20 AMUpdated May 02, 2026, 09:20 AMDUBAI – The war in the Middle East has forced the Gulf monarchies to rethink their oil and trade routes, but rerouting them will be no simple task, experts say.Faced with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the only maritime entry point to the Gulf, the region’s Arab nations are looking for ways to bypass Tehran’s stranglehold on their exports.The UAE’s special envoy for business and philanthropy Badr Jafar wrote in the Financial Times in early…
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