Abu Dhabi has progressed with a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure initiative titled 'Zero Hormuz' by expanding container terminals and oil storage facilities at the Port of Fujairah. The initiative leverages the UAE's eastern coastline on the Gulf of Oman to bypass maritime chokepoints in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the UAE-China Chamber of Commerce, the project is managed by sovereign platform L'imad Holding, a $300 billion sovereign wealth fund led by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan. The upgrades are designed to safeguard oil, petrochemical, and cargo trade corridors directly to China and other Asian markets.
L'imad Holding is reported to be positioned to deploy tens of billions of dollars further into new port and logistics assets situated outside the strategic strait to ensure commercial continuity for China–UAE supply chains.
The strategic development also coincides with structural reorganizations across regional maritime assets, including discussions concerning the privatization of AD Ports Group at an estimated valuation near $9 billion.
Sources
- UAE-China Chamber of Commerce · 2026-10-04
