Building Around the Strait of Hormuz

The article analyzes how Gulf states, led by the UAE's DP World port expansion on the eastern seaboard, are accelerating investments in alternative pipelines, ports, and overland corridors to reduce strategic dependence on the Strait of Hormuz. This shift follows severe disruptions caused by the Iran war. Saudi Arabia is expanding its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, the UAE is strengthening its logistical footprint in Fujairah, and Iraq is exploring new export routes through Syria and Turkey. While these initiatives enhance resilience, they cannot fully replace the strait's central role in global energy markets due to capacity limitations and other security threats, such as attacks in the Red Sea. The UAE's dual port-pipeline strategy reflects a recognition that economic security requires redundancy. The conflict has transformed infrastructure planning from a commercial undertaking into a matter of national security and geopolitical competition, signaling a permanent adaptation to an era of sustained confrontation with Iran.