MANAMA: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders have rejected suggestions that the Strait of Hormuz could become irrelevant in the coming years, saying the waterway will remain vital for global trade and energy supplies despite efforts to develop alternative routes.
Speaking at the fourth edition of the Gateway Gulf event in Bahrain, GCC Secretary General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi said keeping the Strait of Hormuz open was the responsibility of all countries, not just a few Gulf nations.
He said the waterway must remain open and that international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea must be respected.
“The Strait of Hormuz is not the responsibility of one, two or three countries. It is the responsibility of the international community,” he said.
He also said, “We will get the pipelines, we will get the GCC railway, but that doesn't mean Hormuz is nobody's business. No, it's our business. It should be open.”
The Strait of Hormuz, a major global trade route, has remained closed or partially operational since the conflict involving Iran and the US began in February 2026. The conflict disrupted nearly 20% of global crude oil and gas supplies. For India, the route was a major channel for energy imports before the war began on February 28, 2026, accounting for around 90% of LPG, 60% of LNG and 40% of crude oil imports.
Bahrain's Finance and National Economy Minister Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa described the Strait as “non-negotiable”, while UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri said Hormuz would continue to matter despite efforts to develop alternative trade routes.
Al-Budaiwi said the events since February 28 had changed GCC countries' understanding of regional integration. Comparing the situation with the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the Gulf uprising in 2011, he described the latest attacks as a game changer for the region.
“If we were 100% convinced earlier that regional integration was important, the February 28 attacks have made us 1,000% certain that we need to work together,” he said.
Al Marri also rejected the suggestion that Hormuz could lose its importance. He said the UAE would develop alternative routes, including an East Coast route, but the region should not depend on a single trade route or point of access.
“An economy that depends on only one trade route is at risk. If that route is closed, trade can be disrupted,” he said.
Sheikh Salman said the Strait of Hormuz was an international waterway and keeping it open was the responsibility of the international community.
“Hormuz is non-negotiable. It is an international waterway, and keeping it open is the responsibility of the international community,” he said.
He said three GCC countries depended on the Strait as their only waterway access to the sea. Around 30% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, 27% of aluminium exports and 30% of fertiliser exports passed through the Strait, according to him.
He said alternative pipelines and other routes were necessary to improve supply security but could not replace Hormuz.
“Alternative routes are important as backup options, but they cannot replace the Strait of Hormuz. The world economy will continue to depend on it,” he said.
The three leaders also called for faster economic integration among GCC members, saying the crisis had exposed the need to strengthen regional supply chains, transport networks, power infrastructure and digital connectivity.