Japan Increases Oil Stock from UAE, Anticipating Strait of Hormuz Blockade

TOKYO - Japan is strengthening its energy resilience strategy amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The country is now expanding its oil supply and strategic reserves cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following threats of energy distribution disruptions due to conflicts around the Strait of Hormuz. Quoting Nikkei on Monday (11/5/2026), Japan is reported to have agreed to purchase 20 million barrels of oil from the UAE. The agreement was announced after a ministerial-level meeting between the two countries. Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Ryosei Akazawa, stated that Tokyo has obtained a commitment from the UAE to increase joint crude oil reserves stored by UAE companies in Japan. “We want to significantly increase the joint supplies with the UAE,” Akazawa told reporters in Paris after a visit to the Middle East. However, details regarding the additional supply volume and the size of the new stockpile will still be discussed in further negotiations. Japan’s move to tighten cooperation with the UAE is inseparable from growing concerns over disruptions to global oil distribution due to conflicts around the Strait of Hormuz. This strategic shipping route has long been the main path for oil shipments from the Middle East to Asia. Brent crude oil prices surged 5.8 percent to $114.44 per barrel, or approximately Rp1.99 million per barrel at an exchange rate of Rp17,377 per US dollar. Meanwhile, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude price rose 4.4 percent to $106.42 per barrel, or approximately Rp1.85 million per barrel. Japan is one of the countries most vulnerable to such disruptions because it heavily relies on energy imports from the Middle East.