Fujairah Oil Industry Zone
Industrial zone east of Fujairah, UAE, hosting major oil storage, refining and bunkering facilities.
Last refreshed: 8 May 2026
Can the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone handle the full Hormuz bypass load?
Timeline for Fujairah Oil Industry Zone
Mentioned in: Fujairah hits 1.62 mbpd; ADCOP nears cap
Iran Conflict 2026- Why is Fujairah so important for oil shipments avoiding the Strait of Hormuz?
- Fujairah is on the UAE's Indian Ocean coast, outside the Strait of Hormuz. ADCOP delivers Abu Dhabi crude directly to Fujairah for export, and the port's bunkering and storage facilities serve vessels unable to use Hormuz. It is the primary physical alternative to Hormuz passage for UAE crude exports.
- Did Iran attack Fujairah's oil terminal in 2026?
- The IRGC struck the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone with drones on 4 May 2026, then claimed maritime control zones over the UAE's eastern coastline on 5 May. The attack targeted the main terminal through which Hormuz-bypass crude flows.Source: Lowdown
- How close is Fujairah to running out of capacity during the Hormuz crisis?
- Crude throughput reached 1.62 mbpd by late March 2026 against ADCOP's 2 mbpd design ceiling, leaving roughly 380,000 bpd of headroom. Real-world sustained capacity is estimated 200,000-300,000 bpd below the published ceiling, so effective margin may already be exhausted.Source: Lowdown
Background
The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) is a major industrial complex on the UAE's eastern (Indian Ocean) coast, adjacent to the Port of Fujairah. It serves as the eastern terminus for the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) and hosts extensive oil storage, bunkering and ship-repair facilities. Fujairah's Indian Ocean position makes it the UAE's primary oil export point that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz entirely. The zone handles crude exports, refined products, bunkering for vessels transiting the region, and some refining operations. It is one of the three largest bunkering hubs in the world.
The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone became critical to global energy logistics after Iran imposed Hormuz transit restrictions. Crude flow through Fujairah reached 1.62 mbpd by late March 2026, a 38% increase on the February baseline , pushing ADCOP close to its 2 mbpd design ceiling. The IRGC struck the zone with drones on 4 May 2026, then published a map on 5 May claiming maritime control zones over the UAE's eastern coastline, the kinetic-then-legal pattern that signals Iran views the bypass route as a target. The zone's saturation and strategic exposure mean any further Hormuz closure will have no comparable alternative.