The UAE has 136 energy projects under development with estimated capital expenditure (CAPEX) of US$210bn, according to EICDataStream data presented at EIC Connect UAE 2026 in Abu Dhabi on 22 September.
Oil and gas account for the majority of that investment, with upstream representing almost 40% of estimated CAPEX, followed by downstream at 16% and midstream at just under 12%.
As for other industries, renewables account for 11% of projects under development, hydrogen 9%, transmission and distribution 8%, conventional power 7%, and carbon capture and energy storage 4% each.
EICDataStream is also tracking 17,980MW of UAE renewable capacity across 14 projects due to come online by 2030, alongside 12,947MW of conventional power capacity across nine projects.
Not all of these projects have reached final investment decision (FID).
Across the GCC, 28 of 99 renewable projects under development have reached FID. For hydrogen, only two of 39 projects have reached FID, while carbon capture stands at two out of 18. None of the clean fuels, nuclear new-build, offshore wind or AMR/SMR projects in the EICDataStream table has yet to reach investment decision.
The conversation went beyond just upcoming projects to highlight how the reality of delivering them is evolving. That means getting major projects across the finish line still relies on smart contracting, fair risk-sharing. Collaboration among operators, contractors, and suppliers is also key.
“The UAE has a very strong project pipeline for the energy supply chain, and what we saw at EIC UAE Connect is how these projects cover both conventional and non-conventional technologies,” said Ryan McPherson, EIC Regional Director & GM, Middle East, Africa & CIS. “Companies are looking closely at where projects are progressing and where they can bring their capabilities to the market, and the EIC provides exactly the right data and context for that.”
Other presentations at UAE Connect showed where additional work is taking place.
Tadweer Group is supporting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to divert 80%of waste from landfill by 2031 as the emirate expands its waste-management capacity and resource-recovery capacity. With two material recovery facilities under development in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, with a joint total sorting capacity of 800,000 tonnes per year, as well as the planned Al Bihouth waste-to-energy facility which is expected to handle up to 900,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste annually and generate enough electricity to power about 52,000 homes.
Data centres are creating another route into the market for established energy suppliers.
Kent told the conference that a hyperscale data centre can draw more than 100MW of power, while a 1GW hyperscale campus can represent approximately US$10bn in infrastructure investment.
Much of the procurement is familiar to the conventional energy supply chain. That includes gas turbines, transformers and switchgear, pumps and motors, structural steel, piping, HVAC, instrumentation, cables, battery energy storage, inspection and mechanical and electrical services.
The EIC Connect series is hosted across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It provides the latest project and supply chain data and analysis, based on EIC’s proprietary global datasets and market expertise, while bringing together operators, developers, investors and supply chain companies to discuss specific energy projects and business opportunities.
The event also featured presentations by ADNOC, Khalifa University, AIQ, Baker Hughes, NMDC Energy and Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC).
