Gulf states weigh multiple routes to bypass Hormuz - report
Gulf countries explore new oil export routes that could include a land corridor to the Mediterranean through Israel’s port of Haifa, to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, Financial Times reports
Gulf countries are exploring a wide range of options to overhaul their oil export infrastructure and reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, with plans under consideration spanning from expanded Red Sea capacity to new overland corridors reaching the Mediterranean, The Financial Times reported.
While one high-profile option includes a potential route to the Israeli port of Haifa, officials and industry sources stress that the strategy goes far beyond a single destination. Gulf states are examining a broad network of pipelines, railways, and transport corridors designed to ensure energy exports can continue even if the vital shipping lane is disrupted.
At present, Saudi Arabia remains the only Gulf producer able to maintain steady export flows during the conflict, largely due to its East-West pipeline, which carries crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu and bypasses Hormuz entirely. The system is now being viewed as a model for future infrastructure.
Among the options under discussion is the revival of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a US-backed initiative that would link Asia to Europe via the Gulf. Earlier versions of the plan included a pipeline component running to Haifa, though officials say routes to other Mediterranean outlets, including ports in Egypt, are also being considered.
Energy executives say the emerging vision is not a single pipeline but a flexible system of interconnected routes, allowing Gulf exporters to diversify risk. .
The renewed push is due to mounting concern that reliance on the Strait of Hormuz leaves Gulf economies exposed to disruption.