Posted on August 31, 2026
By Federico Maccioni, Sarah El Safty and Siddarth S
DUBAI, Aug 28 (Reuters) – The Iran war’s redrawing of the global trade map is forcing Gulf nations to retool their investment play book, plowing capital into infrastructure, from energy pipelines to ports, to weather the fallout from the conflict.
The war has highlighted the Gulf’s overreliance on the Strait of Hormuz, previously a chokepoint for 20% of global oil flows but also subject for decades to Iranian threats of disruption.
With the strait virtually blocked for much of the past six months, a burst of billions of dollars of investment commitments has emerged as Gulf energy exporters try to future-proof their economies now facing a severe slowdown.
Trade is being redirected to Saudi ports on the Red Sea and the United Arab Emirates’ eastern ports but capacity is smaller. Gulf governments are looking at ways to create permanent, integrated solutions to get round using the Strait of Hormuz, said an industry source, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
While most Gulf governments can tap into oil riches accumulated over decades, some may look to external funds as they work towards ambitious foreign direct investment targets and as big infrastructure funds and other international investors show interest in the region’s assets.
