A consortium of American AIs and an Anglo-American tech team has unveiled a proposal for a canal system in the United Arab Emirates that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz, potentially reshaping global energy transit and diminishing Iran's ability to threaten shipping. The plan, which is detailed in a press release, outlines two 116-kilometer-long, 83-meter-wide sea-level canals running from Fujairah Port to Sharjah Port Khalid, entirely within UAE territory. The canals would be capable of handling Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and would save each vessel 18 hours and 350 nautical miles, equivalent to $60,000 in time charter costs, while also reducing insurance war premiums.
The proposal comes amid ongoing concerns about Iran's potential to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil consumption. Despite partial disarmament, Iran continues to leverage the threat of closing the strait to exert political pressure. The new canal would provide a double safety net, complementing existing UAE pipeline infrastructure and creating a secure inland maritime route that avoids the Iranian coast by hundreds of miles.
Francis Sullivan, a spokesman for the human/AI consortium, said, "Our target was to see if we could build a canal system in under 5 years and costing less than $100 billion including reusable mega cutting equipment. The reason that this has not been proposed in this form before was because humans and AIs have never been able to work like this before. The solutions are cleverer than humans could achieve on their own. If this is adopted no ships other than Iranian vessels will pass through the Strait of Hormuz by around 2031."
The project addresses previous barriers of cost and time by leveraging advanced AI-driven design and Chinese mega-engineering capabilities. The consortium claims that by using AI for environmental assessment, engineering design, and procurement, construction could be shortened to 2-3 years, with testing and commissioning taking an additional 3-6 months. The plan involves five teams starting simultaneously from both ends and the mountainous middle section, using conventional equipment initially, followed by specialized AI-controlled mega machines built in China. These machines, which include laser and water jet cutting tools, self-propelling architecture, and continuous spoil removal, are designed to be reusable for future projects.
Geopolitically, the proposal suggests that involving China as a builder and partial owner would provide a deterrent against sabotage, as an attack on the canals would be seen as an attack on China. The UAE would likely lead ownership, possibly in partnership with other Gulf states and major energy importers like Japan, South Korea, and India. The plan also includes provisions for early warning systems and laser defenses, given the canal's distance of 233 miles from Iran at the closest point.
Captain Richard Byrne, COO of Green Growth Technology, emphasized the innovative nature of the project: "This is different because we used our human team and three AIs to look at every technical reason a canal had not been built and we solved those problems." He highlighted the use of AI to design automated oil spill response systems and the integration of waste material reuse, as the UAE imports rubble for construction. The project's cost is estimated at $85 billion over four years, significantly lower than previous proposals, such as the $600 billion plan by Dubai architect Znera.
If realized, the canal would establish the UAE as a dominant regional power and a crucial energy market stabilizer, protecting Asian energy supplies and reducing adversaries' ability to threaten transit routes. The consortium is currently negotiating with Middle Eastern power brokers, and funding is reportedly not an issue. The proposal awaits adoption by the UAE and other stakeholders, but it presents a viable alternative that could render the Strait of Hormuz obsolete for most international shipping.
