UAE’s ADNOC to double renewable energy portfolio in next 10 years

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ADNOC will also reduce greenhouse gas intensity by an additional 25 percent. (Reuters)
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Widodo witnessed the signing of the deals with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed over the weekend during an official visit to Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
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Updated 13 January 2020
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UAE’s ADNOC to double renewable energy portfolio in next 10 years

  • ADNOC will also reduce greenhouse gas intensity by an additional 25 percent
  • Indonesia signed 11 business deals with the UAE worth $23 billion

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) grew its renewable energy portfolio by more than 400 percent in the last 10 years, and is on track to double that again in the coming decade, chief executive Sultan Al-Jaber said on Monday.

“We will increase our carbon capture utilization and storage program by 500 percent … to capture the same amount of C02 as 5 million acres of forest,” Jaber told a sustainable energy event in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi.

ADNOC will also reduce greenhouse gas intensity by an additional 25 percent and limit fresh water consumption to below 0.5 percent of total water use.

Indonesia signed 11 business deals with the United Arab Emirates worth a combined 314.9 trillion rupiah ($23 billion) covering investment in energy and other sectors, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said via his Twitter account on Monday.

Widodo witnessed the signing of the deals with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed over the weekend during an official visit to Abu Dhabi, his tweet said.

President Widodo, who began his second term in office in October, is keen to boost foreign investment to help create jobs and boost growth in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy where economic growth has been stuck at around 5% for several years.

In the petrochemical and gas sectors, ADNOC signed deals with Indonesian companies PT Pertamina and PT Chandra Asri Petrochemicals , UAE state news agency WAM reported.

They included an agreement for ADNOC to supply 528,000 tons of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to Pertamina by the end of 2020, WAM said.

Prior to the visit, Indonesian ministers had outlined some of the deals, including an agreement between Pertamina and ADNOC to upgrade a refinery in Balongan, West Java.

Widodo said five agreements were also signed between the governments. Agreements covered education, health, agriculture and counter-terrorism, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a statement.

Widodo and the crown prince also discussed a plan to establish a sovereign wealth fund, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said.

Japan’s Softbank and the US International Development Finance Corp. (IDFC) were also interested in taking part in the fund, Pandjaitan said in a statement.

The UAE would be able to use the fund to invest in the development of Indonesia’s proposed new capital in East Kalimantan province on Borneo Island.

It is also interested in investing in a property development in Aceh province on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, Pandjaitan said.


Industry leaders highlight Riyadh’s Metro, infrastructure as investment catalysts

Updated 29 December 2025
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Industry leaders highlight Riyadh’s Metro, infrastructure as investment catalysts

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, is experiencing a transformative phase in its real estate sector, with the construction market projected to reach approximately $100 billion in 2025, accompanied by an anticipated annual growth rate of 5.4 percent through 2029.

The Kingdom is simultaneously advancing its data center capacity at an accelerated pace, with an impressive 2.7 GW currently in the pipeline. This expansion underscores the critical role of strategic land and power planning in establishing national infrastructure as a cornerstone of economic growth.

These insights were shared by leading industry experts during JLL’s recent client event in Riyadh, which focused on the city’s macroeconomic landscape and emerging trends across office, residential, retail, hospitality, and pioneering sectors, including AI infrastructure and Transit-Oriented Development.

Saud Al-Sulaimani, Country Lead and Head of Capital Markets at JLL Saudi Arabia, commented: “Riyadh is positioned at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, offering unparalleled opportunities for both investors and developers. National priorities are continuously recalibrated to ensure strategic alignment of projects and foster deeper collaboration with the private sector.”

He added: “Recent regulatory developments, including the introduction of the White Land Tax and the rent freeze, are designed to stabilize the market and are expected to drive renewed focus on delivering premium-quality assets. This dynamic environment, coupled with evolving construction cost considerations in select segments, is fundamentally reshaping the market landscape while accelerating progress toward our national objectives.”

The event further underscored the transformative impact of infrastructure initiatives. Mireille Azzam Vidjen, Head of Consulting for the Middle East and Africa at JLL, highlighted Riyadh’s transit revolution. She detailed the Riyadh Metro, a $22.5 billion investment encompassing 176 kilometers, six lines, and 84 stations, providing extensive geographic coverage, with a depth of 9.8 km per 100 sq. km. This strategic development generates significant TOD opportunities, with properties in proximity potentially commanding a 20-30 percent premium. JLL emphasized the importance of implementing climate-responsive last-mile solutions to enhance mobility and accessibility, particularly given Riyadh’s extreme temperatures.

Gaurav Mathur, Head of Data Centers at JLL, emphasized the rapid expansion of the Kingdom’s AI infrastructure, signaling a critical area for technological investment and innovation.

Focusing on the construction sector, Maroun Deeb, Head of Projects and Development Services, KSA at JLL, explained that the industry is actively navigating complexities such as skilled labor availability, material costs, and supply chain dynamics.

He highlighted the adoption of Building Information Modeling as a key driver for enhancing operational efficiency and project delivery.