Abu Dhabi: ADNOC on Sunday confirmed it is accelerating the growth and delivery of its strategy with AED 200 billion ($55 billion) in new project awards scheduled for 2026–2028. The planned awards reinforce the delivery of ADNOC’s five-year capital expenditure (CAPEX) plan approved by its Board of Directors last year and will usher in a new phase of world-scale project execution across its value chain to meet growing global energy demand.
The announcement was made at the ‘Make it With ADNOC’ Forum, which connected top engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors with 70 local manufacturers. These manufacturers are included in ADNOC’s ‘Local+’ list after meeting technical and qualification standards to support the company’s project requirements.
The ‘Local+’ initiative, under ADNOC’s In-Country Value (ICV) program, aims to ensure that "Made in the Emirates" products are the first choice across ADNOC’s project delivery, supporting the growth of local manufacturers. The planned project awards span ADNOC’s upstream and downstream operations and usher in a new phase of delivery that will supercharge the UAE’s manufacturing capacity, strengthen industrial resilience, and advance the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative.
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said: “In line with the directives of the UAE Leadership to advance the UAE’s energy and industrial sectors, ADNOC is entering a defining execution phase in its strategy, driven by scale, pace, and a laser-focus on delivery. This marks a new chapter of growth and resilience to meet rising global energy demand while strengthening and expanding the UAE’s industrial and manufacturing base.
“As we deliver on this phase of growth, we are bringing together leading EPC contractors with 70 top UAE manufacturers to enhance accountability, maximize in-country value, and ensure 'Made in the Emirates' products are the first choice across our projects. We invite partners who can move at the pace of the UAE’s ambitions, match flawless execution with rock-steady reliability, and demonstrate an unwavering focus on local value creation to join us in this new chapter.”
The forum brought together over 400 attendees, including government entities, private sector companies, and EPC contractors. It provided industry partners with greater visibility into ADNOC’s multi-billion-dollar project pipeline, unlocking a wealth of manufacturing opportunities and underscoring confidence in the UAE’s industrial base.
The gathering demonstrated ADNOC’s approach to early partner engagement and long-term, performance-based partnerships, underpinned by an agile and disciplined project delivery model. This approach is supported by stronger governance and ADNOC’s commitment to encouraging broader market participation.
Building on this momentum, ADNOC plans to launch ‘ADNOC Value Connect — Meet the Buyer’ on May 5 and 6 during the 'Make it in the Emirates' forum. This event will bring together more than 1,000 companies to connect local manufacturers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), directly with key suppliers and EPC contractors to drive tangible partnerships and boost supply chain resilience.
The event was held on the eve of 'Make it in the Emirates 2026,' set to take place from May 4 to 7 at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi. It is hosted by the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and co-hosted by the UAE Ministry of Culture, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and ADNOC.