The UAE occupies a unique position in global energy markets: it is simultaneously one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon producers and one of the most aggressive investors in clean energy transition within the OPEC bloc. ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi national oil company, is executing a capacity expansion to 5 million barrels per day while investing billions in carbon capture, lower-carbon LNG, and petrochemical integration. At the same time, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant — the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear facility — is delivering over 25 percent of Abu Dhabi’s electricity from its four operational reactors, fundamentally reshaping the emirate’s power generation mix.
On the renewables front, Masdar — Abu Dhabi’s clean energy champion — has grown into a global platform with a portfolio spanning solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects across more than 40 countries. The UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, announced in 2021, commits the federation to carbon neutrality by mid-century, backed by a AED 600 billion investment plan in clean energy. The national hydrogen strategy targets the production of 1.4 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2031, positioning the UAE as a major player in the emerging hydrogen trade between the Gulf, Europe, and Asia.
This section tracks the full spectrum of UAE energy policy and infrastructure. It covers upstream oil and gas operations, nuclear programme milestones, renewable energy deployment, emissions reduction targets, and the commercial strategies of ADNOC, Masdar, EWEC, TAQA, and ENEC. Each piece connects operational developments to the sustainability targets embedded in We the UAE 2031 and the broader Net Zero 2050 framework.