The United Arab Emirates is secretly moving tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to sell oil.
Modern.az reports, citing industry sources and shipping statistics from Reuters, that the United Arab Emirates recently moved several oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The transponders showing the ships' locations were turned off to prevent possible attacks from Iran.
Although the volume of these shipments is significantly lower than the UAE's typical export volumes before the US-Israel war, the agency notes that attempts to pass through the closed strait highlight the risk-taking position of both producers and buyers.
Other Gulf countries - Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar - have either completely stopped exports, significantly reduced prices to attract buyers, or, like Saudi Arabia, only transport oil via the Red Sea.
According to three sources, the state oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) was able to export at least 4 million barrels of Upper Zakum and 2 million barrels of Das crude oil with four tankers from terminals in the Persian Gulf in April.
According to Kpler data, due to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, ADNOC has been forced to reduce exports by more than 1 million barrels per day since the beginning of the war. For comparison, the company exported 3.1 million barrels per day in 2025.
