The United Arab Emirates announced accelerated construction of the West-East ADNOC pipeline linking Abu Dhabi's onshore Habshan fields to the Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, with operations expected to begin in 2027 [1]. The pipeline is the only physical alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for Persian Gulf oil exports.

The acceleration confirms what the three-month blockade has made structurally evident: the strait's closure is not a temporary negotiating posture. Maritime Hub's analysis of the Hormuz crisis notes that diversion to the Cape of Good Hope has added 12 to 15 days to standard voyages from the Gulf to Europe, increasing fuel consumption and carbon intensity scores [1]. War risk insurance premiums for remaining vessels in the region have surged by more than 400 percent [1].

The pipeline timeline places the UAE's infrastructure response a year behind the crisis. Until Fujairah is operational, Gulf oil exports depend on the U.S.-guided transit channel near Oman's coast — a routeCENTCOM has used to move approximately 70 ships in and out of the Persian Gulf over three weeks to June 1, with most transiting vessels turning off AIS transponders [1]. The structural bypass is under construction. The current alternative is military escort.

-- HENDRIK VAN DER BERG, Brussels