Sultan Al Jaber’s global energy ambitions made headlines: Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Al Jaber penned a piece for Semafor arguing for a reset in the global energy conversation. With energy demand projected to surge from 9k GW today to as much as 35k GW by 2050, Al Jaber calls for a pragmatic “and-and” approach that embraces lower-carbon gas, nuclear, hydrogen, and renewables instead of restricting energy options. “For too long, the world has been trapped in a false choice between energy access and sustainability,” he said, pushing for policies that deliver both abundance and decarbonization.

The UAE is already laying the groundwork for the shift, with Masdar’s renewables investments spanning over 70 countries and Abu Dhabi’s latest energy venture, XRG, partnering with Exxon, NextDecade, and Covestro on projects across hydrogen, liquified natural gas, and advanced materials. A first-of-its-kind UAE facility combining 5 GW of solar with 19 GWh of storage is also tackling one of renewables’ biggest challenges: intermittency. The world needs not only “more energy, we need more positive energy,” linking energy with progress, Jaber said.

ALSO- Is XRG taking over some of Adnoc’s US assets? Adnoc appears to have transferred its stakes in Exxon Mobil’s hydrogen project and NextDecade’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) Rio Grande LNG export facility, both Texas-based, to its low-carbon energy investment arm XRG, according to Al Jaber’s statements.

REMEMBER- Adnoc reached an agreement to acquire a 35% stake in Exxon Mobil’s low-carbon hydrogen project last September, with the project launch set for 2029. It later transferred its stake to its ammonia arm Fertiglobe. The oil giant also acquired an 11.7% stake in the first phase of sustainable LNG producer NextDecade's USD 18 bn Rio Grande LNG export facility back in May.

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