Qatar Ditches Strait Bypass Plan, Unveils $60B Investment Push

Qatar has dismissed plans to bypass the Strait of Hormuz through pipelines, citing economic and technical reasons. Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi explained that transporting LNG through a conventional gas pipeline would require new facilities outside the country, duplicating existing infrastructure in Qatar.

Al-Kaabi rejected US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's prediction that the Strait of Hormuz could become 'worthless' within two years. He noted that the strait carries trade in many products beyond oil and gas.

The North Field expansion is expected to raise Qatar's LNG production capacity from 77 million tonnes a year to 142 million tonnes by 2030. The first production unit at the North Field East project will begin operating in the first half of 2027, with later units potentially delayed due to equipment shortages.

Qatar has launched a new investment and economic growth management platform called Doha Investment, which aims to manage and grow Qatar's domestic portfolio. Over $60bn in projects and investment opportunities are planned over the next five years, including public-private partnerships and real estate developments.