The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expanding ports, pipelines, railways, and alternative trade corridors to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz and safeguard energy exports and trade amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said, according to Reuters.

Speaking at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, Gargash said the UAE’s energy exports and broader economic activity would not be “held hostage” by the conflict, following Iranian missile strikes on the UAE and attacks on oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE is therefore strengthening infrastructure along its eastern coast, particularly around ports with direct access to the Gulf of Oman, while developing pipelines, railways, and alternative trade corridors, according to Reuters.

Gargash also said that although relations with Iran could eventually recover, rebuilding trust after the attacks could take decades. He argued that the conflict had underscored the need for Gulf states to strengthen their own national security capabilities rather than relying exclusively on external security guarantees.

The UAE already has one of the Gulf’s most important oil-export routes that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, also known as ADCOP, transports crude from the Habshan onshore fields to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, outside the strait. The 360-kilometer pipeline, operated by ADNOC, has a capacity of around 1.5 million to 1.8 million barrels per day (mmbbl/d).

Reuters reported in August that the UAE is building a new oil pipeline that will double crude export capacity to Fujairah when it becomes operational in 2027, as Gulf producers accelerate infrastructure investments designed to reduce their exposure to Hormuz.