Saudi Arabia is considering expanding the capacity of its strategic East-West Pipeline to around 10 million barrels per day in the coming years to strengthen global energy security and mitigate oil supply disruptions.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Energy Minister, outlined the potential expansion during a ministerial dialogue on global oil and gas markets at the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh.

The proposed upgrades would cover pumping stations, transmission pipelines and the Kingdom’s gas system, reinforcing critical infrastructure and ensuring reliable oil transportation during market disruptions.

Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the pipeline’s origins in the early 1980s, when the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud directed the development of alternative export routes to diversify Saudi Arabia’s oil transportation network. 

Subsequent directives in the 1990s increased its capacity to five million barrels per day.

The minister said government-funded investments in the pipeline and the Master Gas System had strengthened national assets and supported Saudi Arabia’s contribution to global energy stability.

Haitham Al Ghais, OPEC Secretary General, also stressed the pipeline’s importance as a safeguard against market volatility and rising energy demand driven by urbanisation and artificial intelligence.

Al Ghais warned that insufficient investment could threaten future supply, noting that the global oil and gas industries require an estimated $18 trillion in investment through 2050.

The proposed expansion comes amid growing uncertainty in energy markets, underscoring the importance of reliable infrastructure and diversified export routes.