Gulf NOCs feel their ways towards decarbonisation
Saudi Arabia lags the UAE in both standalone carbon capture and its deployment of low-emission hydrogen
Design work on the first phase of Saudi Aramco’s flagship CCS project was declared complete in early June, paving the way for belated assignment of the construction work, while Emirati NOC ADNOC awarded the main contract in May on its first blue hydrogen scheme. The twin developments are testament to the multiple portfolio diversification strands being pursued by the Mideast Gulf’s two most dynamic NOCs—at home and, increasingly, overseas—but also to the inevitably patchy progress, as both the historically crude oil-focused firms test out novel technologies and adapt to uncertain future market dynamics. Aramco unveiled plans to develop a vast CCS hub at Jubail, a downstream hub in the oil-ri
Also in this section
25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
18 February 2026
Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
