Partnerships key to meeting energy demand, says UAE's Sultan Al Jaber

Sultan Al Jaber, at India Energy Week, called reliable partnerships the 'real strategic reserve,' highlighting megatrends like AI and emerging markets driving energy demand growth, with a special focus on the strong UAE-India relationship.

Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, on Tuesday said reliable partnerships are the real strategic reserve, urging leaders to look beyond short-term volatility to the transformative opportunity of rising global energy demand, a release said.

Speaking at India Energy Week 2026, Al Jaber said the defining story of energy today was one of growth, driven by three powerful megatrends: the rise of emerging markets, the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI), and the transformation of energy systems, all of which converge in India.

Future of Global Energy Demand

"Transformation rewards those who move boldly, not those who wait for calm seas," Al Jaber said. He emphasized that global oil demand will remain above 100 million barrels per day through 2040, with demand for both LNG and electricity to grow by 50% or more. Electricity demand will be driven not only by AI and data centers but increasingly by cooling, he added. Global air-conditioner numbers are projected to more than triple to 5.6 billion by 2050, equivalent to ten AC units sold every second for the next thirty years. "Demand at this scale and pace requires investment in all forms of energy," Al Jaber said, adding: "The biggest risk is not over supply, it is underinvestment"

India's Role in Driving Demand

As the world's third largest energy consumer, India has become a decisive driver of global demand. Over the next 15 years, air travel in India is expected to grow by 150 percent, the country's urban population will approach one billion people, and data center capacity will surge ten-fold.

The UAE-India Strategic Partnership

"Progress and growth at this scale and pace requires a special kind of partnership," said Al Jaber. "Partnership that is strategic, long-term, agile and flexible. Steadfast, dependable, principled and consistent. Partnership that is based on trust and will endure through thick and thin. This is precisely what defines the UAE-India relationship," he added.

As India's refining demand grows, ADNOC will remain a trusted, dependable crude supplier. India is ADNOC's number one LNG market, ADNOC is India's largest LPG supplier and continues to supply feedstocks and chemicals. The UAE is also supporting India's clean energy ambitions through ALTÉRRA, the world's largest private climate investment vehicle, he added, with investments totaling 11GW across wind, solar and battery storage.

ADNOC's Global Strategy and Innovation

Leveraging Global Partnerships

XRG, ADNOC's international energy investment arm, will leverage the UAE's strengths in energy expertise, capital and global partnerships to enhance its role as a reliable, responsible energy supplier, said Al Jaber. Through XRG, ADNOC is expanding its global gas portfolio, building a world-leading chemicals platform, and investing in energy infrastructure to support industrial and digital growth at scale.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence

At the same time, ADNOC is integrating agentic AI to monitor every well in its portfolio in real-time, deploying more than 200 AI tools and 65 robotics applications across its operations. To date, AI has enabled ADNOC to cut unplanned shutdowns in half, boost performance, drive efficiency and reinforce resilience

UAE as a Global Partner

Sultan Al Jaber said: "In an era of constant change, reliable partnerships are the real strategic reserves. This conviction has guided the UAE's leadership to design an economy that is open to the world. In just three years, the UAE has signed 35 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, including its first with India, and attracted more than $45 billion in strategic foreign direct investment in 2025.

If you are an investor seeking predictable returns, look to the UAE," Sultan Al Jaber said. "If good governance and the rule of law are essential, you will find them in the UAE. And if you want a partner whose conviction will not waver, you can count on the UAE."

Concluding his remarks, Sultan Al Jaber said: "In an age of walls, our message is simple: build doors and the world will walk through them. I invite all our partners, from India and around the world, to walk with us through those doors and into the future together." (ANI)

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