The United Arab Emirates is accelerating work on alternative oil-export and trade routes as officials warn that the country’s economy will not remain dependent on passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s continuing confrontation with the United States.
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said Monday that Abu Dhabi is expanding infrastructure designed to bypass the strategic waterway, including additional port capacity along the country’s eastern coast as well as pipelines, railways and other trade corridors.
“Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity,” Gargash told the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE has been directly affected by the six-month war. Iranian missiles have struck the country, while oil tankers linked to the UAE have also come under attack in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Gargash warned that rebuilding trust with Tehran following the attacks could take decades and criticized Gulf states for failing to turn their common concerns about Iran into a coordinated regional strategy.
A senior Qatari official appearing at the same forum also questioned whether Gulf countries can continue relying primarily on Washington for security. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the U.S. alliance remains important but is not sufficient on its own, arguing that Gulf countries must develop greater security self-sufficiency.
Gargash also rejected Iran’s position that control of Hormuz is primarily a matter for Tehran and Oman, insisting that freedom of navigation cannot become something granted or withdrawn under political pressure.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
