- The UAE plans to raise its energy sector investments in the U.S. to $440 billion by 2035, up from $70 billion.
- The countries also struck deals to deepen energy and AI cooperation, including agreements between ADNOC and U.S. firms.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced plans to increase its energy investments in the United States to $440 billion by 2035, significantly boosting economic ties with Washington during U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour.
The announcement was made on Friday, May 16, during a presentation by Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of ADNOC and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, as Trump wrapped up his regional trip in Abu Dhabi.
The investment surge is part of a wider $1.4 trillion UAE commitment to the U.S. economy, encompassing energy, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and manufacturing. Al Jaber said U.S. energy firms will also invest in the UAE, reinforcing a two-way strategic partnership.
“Our partners have committed new investments worth $60 billion in upstream oil and gas, as well as new and unconventional opportunities,” Al Jaber told Trump.
ADNOC confirmed that these investments would be made over the lifetime of the projects. As part of its expansion, ADNOC’s international investment arm XRG, which manages $80 billion in assets, prioritises the U.S. as a key market.
XRG recently signed a framework agreement with 1PointFive, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, to explore a potential investment in a direct air capture project in Kleberg County, Texas. ADNOC could fund up to a third of the project’s cost.
In addition, ADNOC has transferred stakes in NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export facility and ExxonMobil’s planned hydrogen plant, both in Texas, to XRG. The company is also pursuing a merger between Austria’s OMV and Germany’s Covestro to consolidate petrochemical assets, including Borealis and Borouge.
UAE energy investments in the U.S. already include partnerships with ExxonMobil and Inpex on expanding the Upper Zakum offshore oil field, Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) on the Shah gas field and EOG Resources, which has secured an exploration concession in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region
“The agreements reinforce the shared commitment of the UAE and U.S. to maintaining global energy security and the stability of energy markets,” ADNOC said.
In tandem with its energy investment drive, the UAE also reached a landmark agreement with the U.S. to access advanced AI semiconductors, a significant step in Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become a global artificial intelligence hub.
President Trump welcomed the announcements, highlighting the significance of the investment: “We’re making great progress for the $1.4 trillion that the UAE has announced it intends to spend in the United States,” he said in Abu Dhabi.
The White House added that the investment plan will “substantially increase the UAE’s existing investments in the U.S. economy”, particularly in sectors vital to long-term technological and energy competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Mubadala Energy, a division of Abu Dhabi’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund, strengthened its U.S. footprint by securing gas asset stakes through a deal with American energy firm Kimmeridge.
The announcements underscore the UAE’s shifting focus from oil exports alone to a diversified, innovation-led investment strategy centred on the U.S. as a critical economic partner. As both countries deepen their cooperation in energy, AI, and infrastructure, the UAE is positioning itself as a key global investor across emerging and traditional energy value chains.