UAE tries to ride two horses

Abu Dhabi’s plans to raise oil and gas production are advancing despite the federation’s carbon-cutting pledges

The UAE grabbed international headlines in early October by becoming both the first Mid-East Gulf petrostate and first Opec member to pledge carbon neutrality by mid-century. But Abu Dhabi has never hidden its intent to not only maintain but also increase long-term oil and gas production, controversially insisting the two ambitions can happily co-exist. Government-owned Adnoc is now pushing forwards on a trio of upstream expansion projects designed to help realise its output goals. And the exploitation of offshore sour gas reserves and of maturing oilfields promise to be energy-intensive. Restoring gas self-sufficiency is a political and economic priority for Abu Dhabi, all the more so given