BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. The United Arab Emirates is expanding infrastructure along its eastern coast to create alternative routes for energy exports following the war involving Iran, a senior UAE official said.
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the country has been increasing port capacity while developing pipelines, railways and trade routes designed to support alternative energy export corridors.
Gargash said relations with Iran could eventually be restored, but rebuilding trust with Gulf neighbours after months of attacks could take decades.
“A functional relationship with Iran can and must be restored, but rebuilding trust is another matter,” Gargash said at a forum in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE suspended all economic transactions with Iran in August, according to the official.
Gargash also criticised the response of Gulf states to Iranian attacks, saying their collective response had not been sufficient to address what he described as a long-standing challenge.
“For many years we broadly agreed on the nature of the challenge posed by Iran,” he said, arguing that Gulf states had failed to translate that shared understanding into a sufficiently united and strategic response.
The UAE’s infrastructure expansion highlights growing efforts among Gulf countries to reduce their vulnerability to disruptions affecting strategic maritime routes and energy exports.
