Gulf infrastructure investments designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz will face constraints from regional distrust, uncertain commercial viability and, for many, years-long construction timelines that largely leave regional countries dependent, to varying degrees, on the Strait of Hormuz despite ambitions to diversify export routes. On May 21, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, is considering consolidating its logistics projects into a single, large portfolio, to streamline its transport and supply chain ambitions in a process that has gained urgency since the start of the Iran war -- part of a regionwide pattern of renewed discussions on developing regional infrastructure to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, on May 15, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said it was expediting a second West-East pipeline, projected for a 2027 launch, which will double the United Arab Emirates' oil export capacity via its Port...
