20 October 2026
Emirati and French companies signed two contracts and four memoranda of understanding in energy and artificial intelligence at the UAE-France Business Dialogue at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported on 20 October 2026. ADNOC Refining signed two contracts with Technip Energies, one for a refining capacity enhancement project and one for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project. ADNOC Gas signed an MoU with Schneider Electric, and AMI Labs, the AI company co-founded by Yann LeCun, signed three MoUs with MBZUAI, G42 and Analog on world models and physical AI. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the signings. No deal values were disclosed.
What was signed at the UAE-France Business Dialogue
| Parties | Type | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| ADNOC Refining and Technip Energies | Contract | Refining capacity enhancement project |
| ADNOC Refining and Technip Energies | Contract | Sustainable aviation fuel project |
| ADNOC Gas and Schneider Electric | MoU | Assessment of advanced technologies and operational improvements |
| MBZUAI and AMI Labs | MoU | AI research and development, exchange of expertise |
| G42 and AMI Labs | MoU | Cloud computing infrastructure and AI models |
| Analog and AMI Labs | MoU | AI models in robotics and physical AI |
The Abu Dhabi Media Office did not publish contract values, capacities or timelines for any of the agreements. According to WAM, the two leaders also witnessed the exchange of a Strategic Defence Partnership Framework and an agreement on the defence industry.
Energy: two contracts for ADNOC Refining and an MoU for ADNOC Gas
Technip Energies is a French engineering and technology company. Its two contracts with ADNOC Refining cover a project to enhance refining capacity and a sustainable aviation fuel project. The official release describes them as part of continued industrial cooperation between the two countries, but does not name the sites, the scope of work or the planned output.
ADNOC Gas and Schneider Electric, the French energy management and automation group, signed an MoU to assess advanced technologies and opportunities for operational improvements. The stated aim is higher operational efficiency and the use of digital solutions to improve the performance of energy systems. As an MoU, it sets a framework for assessment rather than a purchase commitment.
The dialogue opened with a panel titled “The Power of Resilience: Shaping the Future of Energy and Beyond”. Sheikh Khaled said that changes in the global economy make cooperation on secure, reliable and sustainable energy supplies and resilient supply chains more important. The release lists liquefied natural gas, energy infrastructure, low-emission solutions and renewable energy among the areas of cooperation, with ADNOC, Masdar, MGX and G42 named as the leading UAE companies in the partnership.
On the same trip, the French presidency said on 20 October that Macron had obtained commitments for around 100,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the UAE, AFP reported. With a further 100,000 tonnes per month expected from Bahrain and deliveries from Saudi Arabia, France has commitments for 295,000 tonnes per month, just over 10% of its consumption.
AI: three MoUs with Yann LeCun’s AMI Labs
Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI Labs) was co-founded by Turing Award laureate Yann LeCun and is led by co-founder and CEO Alexandre Lebrun. The company develops world models, a class of AI systems designed to understand physical environments, anticipate outcomes and support reasoning and planning. It signed three separate MoUs in Abu Dhabi:
- MBZUAI, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence: cooperation in AI research and development and exchange of scientific and technological expertise.
- G42: a framework for strategic cooperation in cloud computing infrastructure and AI models, and work on deploying advanced solutions in practical applications.
- Analog, a G42 portfolio company: integration of AI models into robotics and physical AI applications.
According to G42, the agreements with G42 and Analog are non-binding. They span frontier AI research, advanced compute infrastructure, sovereign enabled cloud and potential industrial applications, and give the parties a framework to exchange information and define shared objectives. Scope, commercial terms and implementation will be set in separate definitive agreements. Analog is led by founder and CEO Alex Kipman, the inventor behind Microsoft HoloLens and Kinect, who moved to Abu Dhabi to launch the company with G42.
G42 said the agreements expand its presence in France, where it already operates an AI data centre in Grenoble and has had a strategic partnership with Mistral AI since May 2025. The second panel of the day, “Beyond Compute: AI Shaping the Future”, covered AI in economic and industrial sectors. The release also highlighted Campus AI, the initiative under which MGX works with French and international partners to build advanced computing and AI infrastructure in France.
The AMI Labs agreements add to a series of UAE-France technology projects this year. In September, Marlan Space and Loft Orbital signed Altair-Next Gen, a USD 1 billion constellation of 50 AI satellites to be built in Abu Dhabi.
What it means for companies in the UAE
The agreements do not change any licensing, visa, tax or banking rule in the UAE. The four MoUs are frameworks: commercial terms are left to future agreements, and no dates were announced. The two ADNOC Refining contracts are the binding part of the package, but their value and schedule were not disclosed.
For businesses, the practical relevance depends on the sector. Engineering, industrial services and technology companies that want to work on energy projects in Abu Dhabi as subcontractors or suppliers usually need a UAE licence with the right activity and a local entity that can contract and invoice in the country. Suppliers to ADNOC group companies are also assessed under the UAE In-Country Value (ICV) programme, so local presence matters in tenders. French and European founders who follow these projects often start with the choice between a mainland and a free zone company, which our UAE company formation guide explains step by step.
Checklist for companies following UAE-France projects
- Track the definitive agreements that should follow the MoUs: only they will set scope and commercial terms.
- Check that your trade licence covers the activities you plan to offer, such as engineering, IT services or industrial maintenance.
- Decide whether a mainland or free zone entity fits your clients and the work you plan to do outside the free zone.
- Prepare company documents for supplier registration: licence, memorandum of association, VAT certificate and bank details.
- Open a UAE corporate bank account before the first contract, so that you can invoice and receive payments locally.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital helps foreign companies and founders set up in the UAE and become ready to contract locally. We advise on the choice of jurisdiction and activities, handle company setup on the mainland or in a free zone and support corporate bank account opening, so that a new entity can sign contracts, issue invoices and receive payments from UAE clients.
Conclusion
The UAE-France Business Dialogue in Abu Dhabi produced two contracts between ADNOC Refining and Technip Energies, for refining capacity and sustainable aviation fuel, an MoU between ADNOC Gas and Schneider Electric, and three MoUs between AMI Labs and MBZUAI, G42 and Analog on world models and physical AI. No values or timelines were disclosed, and the MoUs leave commercial terms to future agreements.
Source: Abu Dhabi Media Office, TradeArabia.
FAQ
What agreements did the UAE and France sign at the Business Dialogue in October 2026?
At the UAE-France Business Dialogue at Qasr Al Watan, reported on 20 October 2026, ADNOC Refining signed two contracts with Technip Energies for a refining capacity project and a sustainable aviation fuel project. ADNOC Gas signed an MoU with Schneider Electric, and AMI Labs signed three MoUs with MBZUAI, G42 and Analog. No deal values were disclosed.
What is AMI Labs and what did it agree with G42?
AMI Labs, or Advanced Machine Intelligence, is an AI company co-founded by Yann LeCun that develops world models, AI systems designed to understand the physical world. Its non-binding MoU with G42 covers cloud computing infrastructure, AI models and sovereign enabled cloud, while a separate MoU with Analog covers robotics and physical AI. Commercial terms will be set in separate definitive agreements.
What are the ADNOC Refining contracts with Technip Energies about?
The two contracts relate to a refining capacity enhancement project and a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project. The Abu Dhabi Media Office did not disclose their value, the sites involved or the timelines.
Do the UAE-France agreements change rules for businesses in the UAE?
No. The contracts and MoUs do not change licensing, visa, tax or banking rules. Companies that want to take part in such projects as suppliers or subcontractors still need a UAE licence with the right activities and a local entity able to contract and invoice.
