“Zero dependence on the Strait of Hormuz”: the UAE’s new strategic plan

United Arab Emirates Foreign Trade Minister Thani al-Zayoudi told Bloomberg in an interview that the UAE is developing a plan that would allow it to bypass the vulnerable Strait of Hormuz.

“Our goal is zero dependence on the strait, regardless of whether it is open or not. It will be open, and we hope it will happen quickly. But this opening will not stop our new plan,” he said.

The program involves increasing the capacity of the ports of Dibba, al-Fujairah and Khaur Fakkan, located east of the Strait of Hormuz, on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. Another port will be built there, to which pipelines, railways and roads will be built.

Al-Zayoudi did not provide an estimate of the cost of the project or the time frame for its implementation. It is unclear whether the plan includes cargoes other than oil. The UAE’s largest container port, Jable Ali, is located in Dubai, on the coast of the Persian Gulf.