UAE boosts Fujairah oil exports as Hormuz disruption redirects crude flows
(Bloomberg) - The United Arab Emirates is ramping up crude exports from Fujairah as operators restore loading capacity following Iranian drone strikes, using the port as a key outlet to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Crude loadings from Fujairah averaged about 1.9 MMbpd between March 20–24, up roughly 57% from the 2025 average, according to tanker-tracking data. The increase follows the partial restart of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) export infrastructure that had been shut after attacks earlier this month.
With Hormuz effectively closed to most traffic, Fujairah—alongside Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea—has become a critical route for maintaining Gulf oil flows. A pipeline linking ADNOC’s onshore fields at Habshan to Fujairah is now operating near capacity, enabling continued exports despite disruptions in the Persian Gulf.
The port remains vulnerable, however. Located about 80 miles from the Strait of Hormuz, Fujairah has been targeted multiple times in recent weeks, with strikes damaging storage tanks, pumping systems and fuel-loading infrastructure. While crude export systems have largely resumed operations, parts of the refined products network remain offline, with some loading shifted to alternative facilities.
See also: Iran boosts oil revenue as sole exporter via Strait of Hormuz
The disruption has also complicated vessel tracking, as signal interference continues across the region, making it difficult to verify real-time export volumes.
Despite the challenges, Fujairah’s role as a strategic bypass route has helped prevent a deeper supply shock. Without alternative export corridors such as Fujairah and Yanbu, the loss of flows through Hormuz—normally handling roughly 15 MMbpd—would have had a far greater impact on global oil markets.
