Oil-loading operations at the UAE’s Fujairah port were partially suspended following a drone attack and fire, raising concerns over global energy supply. The port is a crucial hub for crude exports, fuel storage and ship refuelling, especially with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed.

EXPLAINER: Why does the port of Fujairah matter to the oil market?

March 15, 2026

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Fire and smoke rise in the Fujairah oil industry zone, caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defenses, according to the Fujairah media office, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 4, 2026.

Amr Alfiky/Reuters

Some oil-loading operations have been suspended in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah port, a major global hub for refuelling ships as well as crude and fuel exports, after a drone attack and fire on Saturday.

WHY DOES FUJAIRAH MATTER GLOBALLY?

Fujairah exported more than 1.7 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined fuels on average last year, according to Kpler data, a volume equal to about 1.7% of daily world demand.

The port is located on the Gulf of Oman, approximately 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed due to the Iran war, increasing the importance of Fujairah's flows to the global market during the current conflict.

It sold 7.4 million cubic metres (about 7.33 million metric tons) of marine fuels in 2025, making it the fourth largest in the world after Singapore, Rotterdam and China's Zhoushan.

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO THE UAE?

The UAE, which before the war began produced more than 3.4 million bpd of crude, operates a 1.5 million bpd pipeline that can transport some crude to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), also known as the Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline, transports oil from Abu Dhabi’s fields to Fujairah. The port loads the UAE crude grade Murban, sold mostly to buyers in Asia.

With Hormuz largely shut to exports, significant disruptions at Fujairah would force OPEC’s third‑largest crude producer to shut down more production.

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO CRUDE AND FUEL MARKETS?

The port has a storage capacity of 18 million cubic metres, making it one of the world's top hubs for storing crude and fuels as well as blending operations.

Blending in the oil industry is the process of mixing different petroleum components to create finished products such as gasoline and bunker fuels that meet specific standards.

Major global storage companies operate at the port, including VTTI, Vitol, ADNOC, Vopak, and others.

The Fujairah Oil Industry Zone hosts the Middle East’s largest commercial storage capacity for refined products.

-Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar, editing by Alex Lawler and Louise Heavens/Reuters