US-backed pipeline plan seeks to reduce reliance on Strait of Hormuz
Hormuz bypass pipeline plan ARAM Express could reshape Gulf energy exports See how new overland routes may cut risk and keep oil flowing if tensions rise
A U.S.backed proposal is drawing attention for its plan to build overland energy routes that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor affected by rising tensions with Iran.
The concept, called ARAM Express, would create a network of pipelines for oil, gas and petrochemicals linking Gulf producers to export routes on the Red Sea, Mediterranean and Arabian Sea. Supporters say the goal is to give global buyers more than one option if traffic through the strait is disrupted.
The proposal comes as Washington continues its Project Freedom effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where about onethird of the world’s seaborne oil passes. Analysts and officials cited in the article said countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates already have some alternative export capacity, while others in the Gulf remain far more exposed to any future closure.