The United Arab Emirates is accelerating the expansion of ports and related infrastructure along its eastern coastline to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz. Senior officials have stated that the country intends to ensure its energy exports and broader trade are not held hostage by disruptions in the waterway. The strategy centres on facilities at Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Dibba, all located on the Gulf of Oman outside the strait, along with new pipelines, rail and road connections.
The move carries direct implications for major trading partners, including India, whose energy supplies and bilateral commerce with the UAE have been affected by instability in the region.
Official Statements on the Strategy
UAE Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash has underlined the determination to protect export routes. Speaking at a forum in Abu Dhabi, he said energy exports would not be held hostage, nor would trade and economic activity. He pointed to the expansion of port capacity on the eastern coast and the development of pipelines, railways and alternative trade corridors.
Foreign Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi has described a longer-term objective of moving toward zero dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, regardless of whether the waterway remains open or faces future interruptions. The plan includes major development at existing eastern ports and the possibility of at least one additional harbour on the same coastline. Supporting infrastructure—new pipelines, rail links and roads—is intended to connect these ports more effectively with oilfields, gas facilities and petroleum processing sites.
Infrastructure Already in Place and Under Construction
Fujairah has long served as a strategic outlet. An existing crude oil pipeline from Abu Dhabi’s fields to the Fujairah terminal already allows a substantial volume of oil to reach the Gulf of Oman without transiting the strait. Authorities have accelerated work on a second west-east pipeline designed to roughly double export capacity through Fujairah. Further options for petrochemicals, liquefied natural gas and other energy products are under study.
Port operators have also expanded container and general cargo handling at eastern locations. These facilities enable vessels arriving from the Indian Ocean to load or discharge without entering the Persian Gulf. Cargo can then move overland to other emirates and neighbouring markets. The combination of pipeline capacity for energy and growing port capacity for containers and general cargo forms the core of the bypass strategy.
Impact of Strait Disruptions
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. In normal conditions it carries a large share of global seaborne oil and a significant portion of liquefied natural gas trade. Regional conflict and attacks on shipping have sharply reduced traffic through the waterway, raised insurance costs and forced many operators to seek longer or alternative routes.
For the UAE, whose major commercial hubs such as Jebel Ali lie inside the Gulf, the disruption created an urgent need for reliable alternatives. Eastern ports that sit outside the strait have absorbed diverted traffic and demonstrated their value as contingency outlets. The current expansion aims to turn that contingency capacity into a permanent, higher-volume system.
Significance for India
India and the UAE maintain a large and diversified trading relationship valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Energy forms a central part of the partnership. A substantial share of India’s crude oil, LNG and LPG imports from West Asia has traditionally moved through the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions in the waterway have therefore affected supply security and prompted Indian refiners and importers to increase reliance on alternative routes, including UAE east-coast terminals and the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline system.
Greater capacity at Fujairah and neighbouring ports, together with expanded pipeline throughput, offers Indian buyers a more resilient pathway for crude and potentially other energy products. Overland and port connections on the UAE’s eastern seaboard also support the movement of non-energy cargo that forms part of the broader bilateral trade. In an environment of heightened geopolitical risk, the ability to load and discharge outside the strait reduces exposure to sudden closures or heightened military activity in the narrow waterway.
Broader Strategic Implications
The UAE’s approach reflects a wider recognition among Gulf energy exporters that over-reliance on a single chokepoint carries unacceptable risk. By investing in redundant export infrastructure, the country seeks to maintain market access and revenue even during periods of regional tension. The same infrastructure improves options for trading partners who depend on steady supplies.
The projects require substantial capital and coordinated planning across ports, pipelines and inland transport. Officials have indicated that feasibility work continues and that investments will run into billions of dollars, though detailed cost and completion timelines have not been fully disclosed. Progress on the second crude pipeline and ongoing port expansions already demonstrate momentum.
Looking Ahead
The UAE has made clear that the east-coast development programme will continue irrespective of short-term improvements in conditions inside the Strait of Hormuz. The objective is structural resilience rather than a temporary workaround. For India, the availability of higher-capacity, lower-risk export routes from a key energy and trading partner strengthens supply security at a time when global energy markets remain sensitive to geopolitical shocks.
As new berths, storage, pipeline capacity and inland links come online, the eastern coastline of the UAE is positioned to handle a larger share of both energy and container traffic. The stated determination that exports will not be held hostage captures the strategic intent: to ensure that commerce and energy flows can continue even when the traditional gateway is contested or closed. The success of the programme will be measured by the volume and reliability of cargo that can move through these alternative channels in the years ahead.
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