UAE President approves ADNOCās $150bn 5-year investment plan
Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presided over the annual meeting of the ADNOC Board of Directors at the Habshan Complex in Abu Dhabi, a critical operations hub that houses one of the worldās largest natural gas processing facilities. The meeting took place inside the ADNOC Gas operations control room, which supplies nearly 60 percent of the UAEās natural gas needs, supporting key industrial and power sectors.
During the session, the Board approved ADNOCās five-year business plan and a capital expenditure (CAPEX) commitment of $150 billion (Dh551 billion) for the period 2026ā2030. The investment will reinforce ADNOCās long-term growth strategy, enhance operational resilience, and help meet increasing global energy demand while enabling the UAEās continued economic diversification.
Strengthening the UAEās global energy position
President Sheikh Mohamed praised ADNOCās strong performance and its achievements in expanding sustainable energy solutions, noting that the company has delivered significant progress both domestically and internationally. He emphasized the need to convert operational success into strategic advantage and further solidify the UAEās status as a technology-focused global energy leader.
The Board also celebrated ADNOCās success in strengthening national hydrocarbon reserves. The UAEās conventional reserves have increased from 113 billion to 120 billion stock tank barrels (stb) of crude oil and from 290 trillion to 297 trillion standard cubic feet (tscf) of natural gas. This reinforces the nationās standing as the worldās sixth-largest holder of oil reserves and seventh-largest in natural gas.
Additionally, ADNOC has discovered more than 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) through its use of advanced technology, including the worldās largest 3D seismic survey and AI-powered geological data interpretation, unlocking new resources previously considered inaccessible.
Major project approvals and development acceleration
The Board approved the establishment of ADNOC Ghasha, a new operating company responsible for managing the Ghasha Concession, which includes fields such as Hail, Ghasha, Dalma, SARB, and Nasr. Once operational, the concession is expected to produce 1.8 billion standard cubic feet (scf) of gas per day and 150,000 barrels per day of oil and condensates. Construction on the Hail and Ghasha mega-project is progressing rapidly.
The meeting also reviewed progress on Abu Dhabiās unconventional energy resources, estimated at 160 tscf of gas and 22 billion stb of oil, and acknowledged ADNOCās success in securing international partners for exploration, bringing advanced global expertise to development efforts.
Economic value and industrial growth
Sheikh Mohamed highlighted ADNOCās vital role in enabling national economic diversification and driving private sector expansion. Through the In-Country Value (ICV) programme, ADNOC has returned $17.7 billion (Dh65 billion) to the UAE economy in 2025 alone, bringing the total economic contribution to $83.7 billion (Dh307 billion) since 2018. The programme has supported employment for 23,000 UAE Nationals in the private sector, in cooperation with initiatives such as NAFIS.
Looking forward, the Board endorsed a target to inject $60 billion (Dh220 billion) back into the UAE economy over the next five years. ADNOC has also signed local manufacturing commitments worth $21.8 billion (Dh80 billion) as part of its target to develop $24.5 billion (Dh90 billion) in domestic production capacity by 2030.
Adoption of AI and advanced technologies
The Board approved the rollout of the ADNOC Productivity Index, a new AI-powered insight tool designed to enhance organizational efficiency and improve team productivity. ADNOC is accelerating its transformation to become the worldās most AI-enabled energy company, deploying robotics, automation, autonomous operations, and smart analytics across its full value chain.
The boardroom meeting was supported by MEERAi, ADNOCās multilingual AI tool that enhances strategic decision-making and is now deployed across ten ADNOC Group companies.
Chemicals expansion and talent development
The Board acknowledged progress on TAāZIZ Phase 1, a major chemicals ecosystem in Ruwais set to produce 4.7 million tonnes annually, contributing to ADNOCās goal of increasing chemical production capacity to 11 million tonnes per annum by 2028.
Sheikh Mohamed also met Emirati professionals at the Habshan Complex, praising their contributions and reaffirming that people remain the UAEās greatest asset and the core element of national progress.
Reflecting on ADNOCās achievements, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said the company will continue to harness intelligent technologies and strategic investments to strengthen long-term growth and maximize national value.
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