Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Chairman of Masdar, and Executive Chairman of XRG, said on May 20 that renewed infrastructure investment and a commitment to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz are needed to improve global energy resilience.
Al Jaber made these remarks during an interview with the Atlantic Council. He called for increased investment across the value chain to reinforce the global energy economy. As part of this strategy, ADNOC is accelerating construction on a second pipeline designed to double export capacity through Fujairah Port, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
“Right now, too much of the world’s energy still moves through too few chokepoints. That is exactly why the UAE made the decision more than a decade ago to invest in infrastructure that bypasses the Strait. And it is why we moved ahead with our second pipeline in 2025. Today it is already 50 percent complete, and we are accelerating delivery toward 2027,” Al Jaber said.
He stated that ADNOC remains committed to its $150 billion five-year capital expenditure program aimed at enhancing operations and meeting global demand: “As a sector, we are dangerously underinvested. Upstream investment is sitting at around $400 billion a year, which barely offsets natural decline rates… We need to at least double [storage cover].”
Al Jaber described how recent conflict has exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains not only for oil but also chemicals, minerals, fertilizers and other critical goods: “Hormuz is not just an oil story. It is an everything story… Every farm, factory and family is paying the price.” He also noted that nearly eighty countries have taken emergency measures within eighty days since conflict began.
He called on Iran to cease disrupting trade through Hormuz: “This is not just an economic problem… If we do not defend this principle today, we will spend the next decade defending against the consequences.”
Despite current instability in oil markets—with fuel prices up by thirty percent—Al Jaber said ADNOC can ramp up production quickly but full flows through Hormuz may not return before early or mid-2027.
The company continues its focus on delivering low-cost, low-carbon energy globally after exiting OPEC in April—a move Al Jaber described as providing greater flexibility for future investments: “With demand for oil staying well above 100mbpd into the 2040s… now we will have flexibility to place more crude with customers everywhere.”
ADNOC’s international agenda includes expanding investments beyond traditional energy into artificial intelligence infrastructure and advanced manufacturing sectors. The longstanding UAE-US relationship was highlighted as vital; according to Al Jaber: “Our energy investments alone through ADNOC, XRG and Masdar now total more than $85 billion across nineteen states.”
He explained how strong revenues from diversified infrastructure support continued growth despite disruptions: “We kept supplies flowing… redirected volumes through East Coast… every one of our listed companies has achieved strong returns.” This performance has led new investors to consider opportunities in UAE due largely to confidence in its systems.
Reflecting on lessons learned from recent crises he said: “First resilience matters a great deal… Second AI must be built-in not bolted-on… Third energy security is no longer just about production—it’s about routes access storage redundancy.” He added that true resilience comes from long-term planning rather than chance or luck.
Discussing artificial intelligence’s impact on future power needs he remarked: “Global data center electricity demand is expected to double by end-of-decade … In many ways AI race is an electron race … countries providing reliable scalable affordable power will have major strategic advantage.”
In conclusion Al Jaber invited global leaders to meet at ENACT Majlis and ADIPEC 2026 events in Abu Dhabi later this year.
