Overview

There are many opportunities for U.S. exporters in the oil and gas sectors in the UAE, and the UAE is investing billions of dollars in major projects in these sectors. The UAE is among the world’s ten largest oil producers. About 96% of the country’s roughly 100 billion barrels of proven oil reserves are in Abu Dhabi, ranking number six worldwide. The UAE produces an average of 3.2 million barrels of petroleum and liquids per day. Hydrocarbons continue to play a critical role in the UAE economy, with 30% of the UAE’s GDP directly based on oil and gas industry and 13% of its exports. The UAE continues to rely heavily on profits from oil and gas exports, which provide the great majority of UAE government revenue.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is a global leader in the oil and gas industry and is active in all subsectors. ADNOC expects to reach five million barrels of maximum sustainable production capacity by 2027. During President Trump’s May 2025 visit to Abu Dhabi, ADNOC expanded collaboration with U.S. companies, announcing over $60 billion in new energy projects, including 1) a partnership between ADNOC, ExxonMobil, and JODCO to increase the oil production capacity of Abu Dhabi’s Upper Zakum offshore field; 2) an agreement between ADNOC and Occidental Petroleum to explore expanding production capacity at the Shah sour gas field; and 3) an agreement with EOG Resources for an exploration concession for Unconventional Onshore Block 3 in Abu Dhabi. 

The UAE also seeks to develop unconventional oil and gas production. The U.S. Energy Information Agency cites figures estimating the UAE holds the seventh-largest proven reserves of natural gas in the world at over 215 trillion cubic feet. In 2020, the UAE announced the discovery of over 80 trillion cubic feet of gas resources at Jebel Ali. In February 2022, ADNOC announced the discovery of natural gas resources offshore of Abu Dhabi.  This discovery marks the first from Abu Dhabi’s offshore exploration concessions, highlighting the continued success of ADNOC’s block bid rounds and its expanded approach to strategic partnerships.

The UAE aims to become self-sufficient in gas supply by 2030. The UAE currently imports natural gas from Qatar through the Dolphin pipeline to supply power plants and desalination plants. Ambitious plans to increase domestic nuclear and solar energy production could enable the UAE to sell its gas as LNG rather than use it to fuel domestic power plants.

The UAE has made the energy transition a priority and the UAE was the first Arab state to set a “net-zero” emissions target. ADNOC is hastening its decarbonization strategy by setting up a new low carbon solution and international growth vertical. In December 2022, ADNOC announced that the vertical would focus on renewable energy, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage, as well as international expansion in gas, LNG, and chemicals. It will play an important role in advancing the company’s continuing transformation, which includes a focus on the decarbonization of its operations, energy efficiency, and a reduction in methane emissions.

ADNOC announced at the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ forum in May 2025, that it had signed framework agreements valued at $1.64 billion with 12 UAE-based companies to manufacture critical industrial equipment in the UAE, supporting the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative. The long-term agreements are for the manufacturing of cables and pressure vessels. They will potentially create up to 1,300 skilled private-sector jobs. The framework agreements will accelerate investment across industrial zones in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the northern emirates, deepening the impact of ADNOC’s In-Country Value program in boosting UAE manufacturing capacity, building a more resilient industrial base and enhancing business continuity.

Leading Sub-Sectors

ADNOC’s strategic development is guided by its 2030 Integrated Strategy, released in 2016. ADNOC operates fourteen subsidiary companies under one common identity, the ADNOC Group.  Two of ADNOC’s largest operating companies are ADNOC Onshore and ADNOC Offshore, which account for most of the UAE’s oil and gas production.

Upstream

ADNOC seeks to enhance the profitability of its upstream assets, while developing the oil resources necessary to meet projected increases in global oil demand. ADNOC plans to further augment its upstream crude production through concession agreements for new exploration and production. ADNOC is currently investing $150 billion to increase its maximum sustainable production. ADNOC has increased its crude oil production capacity to 4.85 million barrels per day from 4.65 million barrels per day, bringing ADNOC closer to its target of 5 million barrels per day by 2027. The UAE has been consistently promoting a higher production quota to capitalize on its lowest per-barrel oil production costs.

Downstream

The expansion of ADNOC’s downstream activities is central to their 2030 Integrated Strategy. ADNOC has embarked on an ongoing $45 billion effort to upgrade its downstream operations, leveraging existing assets and new downstream investments to strengthen their market share. In November 2020, ADNOC and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding launched the Ta’ziz joint venture to develop billions of dollars of projects in the UAE chemical sector, and this initiative is continuing to progress.

Opportunities

The UAE’s exploration projects will create opportunities with greenfield projects. UAE producers continue to test and implement new extraction technologies to raise the rates of recovery and prolong output. Unconventional oil and gas technologies are of great interest to the UAE.

The Ruwais Derivatives Park (TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone) in the Abu Dhabi Emirate is a major project that will be an industrial hub for the chemical derivatives sector. It has a capacity of 9.6 million tons per annum (mtpa) and will more than double ADNOC’s total capacity to 15 mtpa. The Park is located within ADNOC’s long-established refining and petrochemicals cluster in Ruwais and is expected to become the world’s largest integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex. The cost of Phase I alone is estimated at over $5 billion. ADNOC is inviting U.S. and international companies to participate in the development of the Ruwais Derivatives Park. Opportunities will also be available across the supply chain and in a wide variety of sectors in Phase 2 (2027-2028). ADNOC regularly engages new suppliers from the United States. To bid on ADNOC opportunities, suppliers should register with ADNOC as a supplier. Please contact our commercial team. 

Resources

Trade Shows and Exhibitions
Please contact us for additional information regarding trade shows, U.S. pavilions, and export promotion services that may be available for U.S. companies.
ADIPEC – Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference  
Date: November 3-6, 2025
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW)
Date: January 12-18, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

World Future Energy Summit (WFES)
Date: January 13-15, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE

Make it in the UAE
Date: May 4-7, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE