Oxford Energy Seminar Series – Week 4 TT24: Substitution of the Suez Canal and Bab El Mandeb Strait with the new Mesopotamian Canal. Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz

Since 1869, reliance on maritime global trade, spanning from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz, has faced persistent challenges due to geopolitical tensions. The blockade of the Suez Canal from March 23 to 29, 2021, resulted in staggering losses of up to $400 million per hour or $9.6 billion per day, starkly emphasizing the critical need for alternative maritime routes.

Waterways Engineers Ltd. proposes two transformative projects to address these issues: the Mesopotamian Canal, providing a direct link from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, reducing the route by 3000 km, and alternative channels in the Musandam Peninsula and the UAE, aiming to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, shortening maritime routes by up to 200 km and ensuring safe navigation.

These initiatives signify a paradigm shift in global maritime trade, offering solutions to longstanding challenges and reshaping trade dynamics. Waterways Engineers Ltd. is dedicated to spearheading these transformative efforts, ushering in a new era of maritime connectivity and economic prosperity.