The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is accelerating construction work of a new oil pipeline that will make it more capable of exporting crude without relying on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the busiest and most strategically significant shipping routes in the world. According to reports, Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to fast-track construction of the West-East Pipeline during a recent executive committee meeting. The pipeline is under construction and expected to start operating next near.ย
During the meeting, Sheikh Khaled commended ADNOC for its resilience in maintaining safe operations while continuing to reliably supply energy to local and international customers. He also directed ADNOC to accelerate the project’s delivery as the company moves into a new phase of world-scale project execution to meet global energy demand.
Pipeline to double ADNOC’s export
Once completed, the pipeline will effectively double ADNOC’s export capacity through Fujairah, enhancing supply security for global customers.
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At the moment, the UAE is operating the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, also known as the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline. This pipeline can transport up to 1.8 million barrels of crude oil per day directly to Fujairah, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
India signs deals with the UAE
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited, a public sector company responsible for maintaining the country’s strategic petroleum reserves, has signed a deal with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. aimed at “strategic collaboration”.
Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed a strategic collaboration pact in LPG, aimed at long-term supply of the most widely used cooking fuel in India, economic stability and energy partnership.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia has heightened India’s concerns about potential disruptions to crude oil and gas supplies, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for the country’s energy imports.