--- title: "HSBC CEO: Strait of Hormuz could be redundant in five years" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/hsbc-ceo-strait-of-hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/hsbc-ceo-strait-of-hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/hsbc-ceo-strait-of-hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/hsbc-ceo-strait-of-hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years" category: "Business & Economy" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-10-20T11:25:28.616Z" source_reported: "2026-10-20T10:27:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-20T12:15:15.531Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-20T13:30:11.946531+00:00" --- # HSBC CEO: Strait of Hormuz could be redundant in five years *Investments in alternative logistics routes may lessen dependence on the key shipping lane, says Georges Elhedery.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and six digests corroborate the central claim, with figures attributed to HSBC and MEED. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports provide detail, while digests offer less depth. Affected parties are not quoted. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are largely factual, with mild emphasis on the potential redundancy of the Strait of Hormuz. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Investments in alternative logistics routes could make the Strait of Hormuz redundant in five years, according to HSBC Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery. - The Strait of Hormuz previously carried a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade. - The Middle East, North Africa and Turkey have a $1.4 trillion pipeline of planned but unawarded infrastructure projects. - The World Bank forecasts a 1.3% economic contraction in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region this year. HSBC Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery stated that investments in alternative logistics routes could make the Strait of Hormuz redundant within five years. The strategic waterway previously handled a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade. Elhedery made these remarks on Tuesday during the HSBC Future Forum event in Dubai, noting that regional conflicts have highlighted the risks of dependence on the strait. He added that the region would need substantial investment to recover and continue growing. The Middle East, North Africa and Turkey have a $1.4 trillion pipeline of infrastructure projects that have been planned but not yet awarded, according to an HSBC report citing data from MEED. These projects are part of efforts by Gulf nations to develop energy pipelines connecting production centres to ports, potentially allowing shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. A recent HSBC survey indicated that business leaders and institutional investors still consider the Gulf an attractive investment hub. However, the economic outlook for the wider region has weakened. The World Bank forecast a 1.3% economic contraction in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region this year, attributed to the ongoing conflict. This contraction is expected to be followed by a strong but uneven recovery in 2027. The Saudi Arabia investment conference, which Elhedery was expected to attend, was postponed to 2027 following strikes by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. ## Disagreement on infrastructure project value The Times of India and The Economic Times reported that the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey have a $1.4 trillion pipeline of planned but unawarded infrastructure projects, citing an HSBC report. Ekonomim.com, however, reported that the total value of planned infrastructure projects in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey has reached $872 billion, also citing an HSBC report. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre or right-rated reports mention the World Bank's forecast of a 1.3% economic contraction in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region this year. The unrated digest from Independent Urdu included a detail about Tehran announcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, 2026, after attacks by the US and Israel, which was not present in any other report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 11% (1) - Centre: 33% (3) - Right: 56% (5) 4 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-20T13:30:11.946531+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 11 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-20T14:00:08.093Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from The Economic Times and Reuters led with HSBC Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery's statement that investments in alternative logistics routes could make the Strait of Hormuz redundant in five years. Both reports highlighted that the conflict has exposed the world's heavy reliance on the strategic waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade previously passed. They also noted Elhedery's expectation that the region would need significant investment to recover and grow, and mentioned the postponement of the Saudi Arabia investment conference to 2027 due to Houthi strikes. ### Right - The right-rated reports from The Times of India, YourNEWS, and The Hindu Business Line focused on the potential for alternative routes to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz within five years. The Times of India, in its full report, detailed the $1.4 trillion pipeline of planned but unawarded infrastructure projects in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, and included the World Bank's forecast of a 1.3% economic contraction in the region this year. YourNEWS and The Hindu Business Line digests also highlighted the conflict's impact on the strategic waterway and the need for investment in alternative routes. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 6 - high: 1 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Live Mint](https://livemint.com/news/world/can-strait-of-hormuz-become-redundant-in-5-years-as-iran-war-drags-on-here-are-the-alternate-routes-for-gulf-states-11792496619136.html) — Can Strait of Hormuz become ‘redundant’ in 5 years as Iran war drags on? Here are the alternate routes for Gulf states - [大纪元 Epoch Times](https://epochtimes.com/b5/26/10/20/n14873278.htm) — HSBC President: The Strait of Hormuz May Become Irrelevant After 5 Years - [aljazeera.net](https://aljazeera.net/ebusiness/2026/10/20/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%85%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%ba%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d9%87%d8%b1%d9%85%d8%b2) — HSBC: Alternative Roads May Be Singing From the Strait of Hormuz in Five Years. - [आज तक](https://aajtak.in/business/news/story/hsbc-group-ceo-says-hormuz-strait-could-become-redundant-in-next-f5-years-bad-news-for-iran-tutc-dskc-2675670-2026-10-20) — Only 5 years... Then Hormuz Will Be of No Use! This CEO Made a Big Claim - [ekonomim.com](https://ekonomim.com/ekonomi/hsbcden-hurmuz-bogazi-icin-kritik-tahmin-turkiye-dahil-bolgede-872-milyar-dolarlik-yatirim-projesi-haberi-925876) — HSBC Makes a Critical Prediction for the Strait of Hormuz: a $872 Billion Project in the Region, Which Includes Turkey. - [[your]NEWS](https://yournews.com/2026/10/20/7231132/hsbc-chief-says-alternative-gulf-energy-routes-could-reduce-hormuz) — HSBC Chief Says Alternative Gulf Energy Routes Could Reduce Hormuz Dependence Within Five Years - [Pakistan Today](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/10/20/strait-of-hormuz-could-become-redundant-within-five-years-as-gulf-develops-alternative-routes-hsbc-ceo-says) — Strait of Hormuz could be redundant in five years - [Independent Urdu](https://independenturdu.com/node/188345) — Strait of Hormuz Could 'Lose Importance' in Five Years: British Banking Group - [Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/beyond-the-strait-gulf-looks-for-an-escape-route-from-hormuz/articleshow/135065138.cms) — Beyond the Strait: Gulf looks for an escape route from Hormuz - [The Hindu Business Line](https://thehindubusinessline.com/news/world/hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years-replaced-by-new-routes-hsbc-ceo-says/article71603763.ece) — Hormuz could be 'redundant' in five years, replaced by new routes, HSBC CEO says - [Reuters](https://reuters.com/business/energy/hsbc-ceo-says-alternative-routes-could-make-strait-hormuz-redundant-five-years-2026-10-20) — Hormuz could be 'redundant' in five years, replaced by new routes, HSBC CEO says - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/a781944e8a62ac0e) — HSBC CEO says alternative routes could make Strait of Hormuz 'redundant' in five years - [The Economic Times](https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/hsbc-ceo-says-alternative-routes-could-make-strait-of-hormuz-redundant-in-five-years/articleshow/135062674.cms) — HSBC CEO says alternative routes could make Strait of Hormuz 'redundant' in five years ## Questions **How soon could the Strait of Hormuz become redundant?** HSBC Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery stated that investments in alternative logistics routes could make the Strait of Hormuz redundant within five years. This shift is driven by the need to mitigate risks exposed by regional conflicts and reduce dependence on the strategic waterway. **What is the value of planned infrastructure projects in the region?** According to an HSBC report, the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey have a $1.4 trillion pipeline of planned but unawarded infrastructure projects. These projects aim to develop alternative energy pipelines and logistics routes. **What is the economic forecast for the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan region?** The World Bank forecasts a 1.3% economic contraction in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan region this year due to the ongoing conflict. This is expected to be followed by a strong but uneven recovery in 2027. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/hsbc-ceo-strait-of-hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "HSBC CEO: Strait of Hormuz could be redundant in five years", https://mediabias.news/business/hsbc-ceo-strait-of-hormuz-could-be-redundant-in-five-years