The United Arab Emirates is set to accelerate the delivery of the new West-East Pipeline project, which would double ADNOC’s export capacity through Fujairah, vastly expanding its ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The pipeline is currently under construction and is expected to become operational in 2027, the government’s Abu Dhabi Media Office said Friday.

The decision was taken after Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi executive council, chaired a meeting of the executive committee of the ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) board of directors, held at the company’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

During the meeting, Sheikh Khaled commended ADNOC for its resilience in maintaining safe operations, while continuing to reliably supply energy to local and international customers, a statement said.

He also directed ADNOC to accelerate delivery of the project, as the company moves forward into a new phase of world-scale project execution to meet global energy demand.

Sheikh Khaled reiterated the important role of ADNOC’s In-Country Value (ICV) programme in driving growth and value creation opportunities for local businesses and manufacturers, and directed the company to prioritise Made in the Emirates products across its projects and operations.

The Strait of Hormuz was effectively shuttered by Iran in response to a US-Israeli air and naval campaign that began in February.

Energy prices have surged due to the disruption to supplies, ​raising fears of ​an economic downturn as inflation builds.