President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan chaired the annual meeting of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Board of Directors at the Habshan complex in Abu Dhabi. The facility, operated by ADNOC Gas, supplies 60 percent of the United Arab Emirates’ natural gas requirements and is a key hub for onshore operations.
During the meeting, ADNOC’s five-year business plan was approved, including a capital expenditure budget of $150 billion (AED551 billion) for 2026-2030. This investment aims to maintain current operations and drive growth as global energy demand increases.
Sheikh Mohamed commended ADNOC’s progress in both domestic and international growth strategies. He urged the company to “scale its impact beyond performance and convert success into strategic advantage to reinforce the UAE’s standing as a technology-driven energy powerhouse.”
The Board noted an increase in UAE oil reserves from 113 billion stock tank barrels (stb) to 120 billion stb, and gas reserves from 290 trillion standard cubic feet (tscf) to 297 tscf. These additions reinforce the country’s status among nations with significant oil and gas resources.
New discoveries totaling more than 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent were achieved through advanced technologies such as three-dimensional seismic surveys and artificial intelligence-powered data interpretation.
A new operating company, ADNOC Ghasha, was approved for managing the Ghasha Concession fields—Hail, Ghasha, Dalma, SARB, and Nasr—which are expected to produce 1.8 billion scf of gas per day along with 150,000 barrels per day of oil and condensates.
The Board also reviewed efforts to develop unconventional resources in Abu Dhabi. Unconventional recoverable resources are estimated at 160 tscf of gas and 22 billion stb of oil. International partners have joined exploration concessions to bring expertise for accelerated development.
ADNOC’s In-Country Value (ICV) programme has contributed $17.7 billion (AED65 billion) back into the UAE economy this year alone. Since its launch in 2018, it has driven a total of $83.7 billion (AED307 billion), employing over 23,000 UAE nationals through coordination with partner entities like NAFIS. The Board endorsed a target to inject another $60 billion (AED220 billion) into the economy over five years via ICV initiatives.
In support of local manufacturing goals, ADNOC has signed agreements worth $21.8 billion (AED80 billion) for locally produced industrial products as part of its aim to reach $24.5 billion (AED90 billion) by 2030.
Internationally, XRG—ADNOC’s energy investment arm—increased its enterprise value from over $80 billion (AED290 billion) at launch in November 2024 to $151 billion (AED554 billion). This positions Abu Dhabi among major global energy investors due to disciplined long-term strategies.
The Board endorsed launching ADNOC’s Productivity Index—a tool providing real-time insights designed to improve employee efficiency—and highlighted ongoing use of AI technologies across operations. The meeting itself used MEERAi, an AI boardroom tool now deployed across ten group companies.
Updates were given on succession planning and efforts supporting Emirati National Identity Strategy within corporate culture.
Progress on TA’ZIZ Phase 1 chemicals ecosystem was acknowledged; all final investment decisions have been made for projects that will produce up to 4.7 million tonnes per annum by Al Ruwais Industrial City in Al Dhafra region—one of the largest integrated chemical platforms in the Gulf region—with plans for total chemicals production capacity reaching eleven million tonnes annually by 2028.
Before the meeting began, Sheikh Mohamed toured Habshan complex facilities where he met Emirati employees contributing significantly at site operations: “With the steadfast support of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the guidance of our Board of Directors, ADNOC continues to responsibly provide energy to meet growing global demand while maximising value for our shareholders,” said Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director & Group CEO.“Our success this year in navigating a complex energy landscape and accelerating domestic and international growth is a testament to the dedication of all my colleagues at ADNOC and our focus on leveraging advanced technologies and AI to future-proof our business.We will continue to transform how we create value at speed and scale,d riving a new era of intelligence-powered performance ,operating at intersection o fAIandenergy,todelivergrowthfortheUAE.”
Habshan plays an essential role in powering UAE industry by supplying natural gas feedstock vital for sectors such as aluminium production ,steel manufacturing ,cement,and petrochemicals .
