Kuwait's Plan to Bypass the Strait of Hormuz: Pipeline Construction with Saudi Arabia and UAE

Kuwait's Plan to Bypass the Strait of Hormuz: Pipeline Construction with Saudi Arabia and UAE. At a Glance: To reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the security of its oil exports, Kuwait has begun feasibility studies for two alternative projects in cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. If finally approved, implementation would take 4 to 5 years. The first project involves transporting oil from Kuwait's Ahmadi area to Red Sea coasts using […]

In order to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the security of oil exports, Kuwait has started feasibility studies of two alternative projects with the cooperation of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which will take 4 to 5 years to implement in case of final approval.

The first project is to transfer oil from the Ahmadi region of Kuwait to the shores of the Red Sea using the "East to West" pipeline of Saudi Arabia, and the second project is to transfer oil to Abu Dhabi and then pump it through the "Habshan-Fujira" pipeline to the port of Fujairah in the Oman Sea.

According to Kuwaiti oil officials, these strategic plans are currently in the early stages, and the costs and time of their construction have not yet been announced.

According to media reports, Kuwait is considering the construction of new pipelines to create alternative routes for oil exports with the aim of reducing dependence on the Strait of Hormuz. These measures are part of Kuwait's efforts to increase the security of oil exports and continue to explore long-term solutions that allow the transfer of oil to global markets without crossing this maritime corridor.

The plans under consideration in Kuwait include two projects that are being studied in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of these projects is to use the existing oil transportation networks in these two countries and provide alternative routes for the transfer of Kuwaiti crude oil to export ports outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Of course, it should be noted that if the final decision is made to implement the proposed pipelines, their construction will take between 4 and 5 years.

New oil pipelines for Kuwait

Kuwait Oil Company, in coordination with its partners in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is conducting feasibility studies to build new oil pipelines to create more routes for crude oil exports. Mohammad Al-Abd al-Jalil, Kuwait Oil Company's deputy CEO for planning and innovation, said the company has agreed with its partners in both countries to study two separate projects.

The first project starts from the Ahmadi region in Kuwait and reaches the shores of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. This route uses the east-west pipeline of Saudi Arabia, which connects the oil production areas in the east of the country to its western ports.

The full capacity of Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline is about 7 million barrels per day, making it one of the most important routes for transporting oil to global markets outside the Strait of Hormuz. Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's energy minister, announced at the World Energy Congress that the country plans to increase the capacity of its oil pipelines to 10 million barrels per day in the next two or three years.

The Saudi energy minister mentioned the process of internationalization of ownership and financing of pipelines, including the possibility of Kuwait's participation, in the framework of oil transportation infrastructure development plans.

Transfer of Kuwaiti oil through the United Arab Emirates

The second project aims to create a route for the export of Kuwaiti oil through the United Arab Emirates and transfer it to the port of Fujairah, on the coast of the Oman Sea and outside the Strait of Hormuz. In this regard, the Kuwaiti official explained that one of the proposed scenarios is the sea transfer of Kuwaiti crude oil from Ahmadi Port to Abu Dhabi and then pumping it through pipelines to Fujairah.

This proposed route relies on the use of the Habshan-Fujira pipeline of the United Arab Emirates with a daily capacity of 1.5 to 1.8 million barrels. Also, the possibility of building additional pipelines to transport Kuwaiti crude oil is considered.

The proposed options include the expansion of the oil transportation route to the Doqm region in Oman. In this scenario, the use of UAE infrastructure could provide another outlet for Kuwaiti crude oil exports through the Oman Sea.

When will the new pipelines be implemented?

The deputy CEO of Kuwait Oil Company confirmed that these two projects are still in very early stages and the agreement to carry out feasibility studies does not mean a final investment decision.

According to estimates, if it is decided to advance any of the two projects, its construction could take 4 to 5 years. Therefore, the proposed plans are part of a long-term strategy to diversify export routes.

So far, the estimated cost of these two projects or the target capacity for transporting Kuwaiti crude oil through these routes, as well as a date for the start of construction operations, have not been determined.

Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, CEO of Kuwait Oil Company, announced in June 2026 that negotiations are underway with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates regarding the expansion of pipeline networks to support Kuwait's oil exports.