Strait of Hormuz Tensions Push Gulf Nations to Rethink Oil Export Routes

• Ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran revives concerns over Strait of Hormuz reliability for oil exports.
• Gulf states are reconsidering pipeline alternatives despite high costs and feasibility challenges.
• Saudi Arabia's 1,200km East-West pipeline to Yanbu (Red Sea) is now a central export strategy, bypassing the Strait.
• Discussions include expanding existing pipelines and building new ones, but large-scale projects face significant cost and security hurdles.
• Focus shifts to network-based pipeline strategies and expanding current infrastructure like Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and Abu Dhabi's Fujairah route.