6 November 2026
ADIPEC 2026, the energy exhibition and conference held at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 2 to 5 November 2026, closed with more than 50,000 deals worth an estimated USD 67 billion (about AED 246 billion), recorded over four days. The organisers put the growth at 26.4% compared with 2025. The event, hosted by ADNOC under the patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, drew 240,000 attendees from 170 countries, 2,260 exhibiting companies and more than 40 government ministers and policymakers. Among the transactions announced during the week were XRG’s purchase of Shell’s stake in Australia’s North West Shelf LNG project for about USD 1.5 billion and a financial close of AED 5.1 billion for two TA’ZIZ projects in Ruwais.
ADIPEC 2026 in figures
The closing figures come from the organisers, dmg events, and were published as the event ended on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Amounts in US dollars are converted at the fixed rate of AED 3.6725 per USD.
| Indicator | ADIPEC 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deals recorded | more than 50,000 |
| Estimated deal value | USD 67 billion (about AED 246 billion), +26.4% on 2025 |
| Attendees | 240,000 from 170 countries |
| Exhibiting companies | 2,260 across 16 halls |
| Country pavilions | 30, plus four specialised industry zones |
| Asian exhibitors | 353 companies, +12% year on year |
| Ministers and policymakers | more than 40 |
| Conference | 13 programmes, more than 380 sessions, more than 1,800 speakers |
| Media | nearly 1,000 journalists and content creators, +14% |
The organisers describe this edition as the largest exhibition by floor space in ADIPEC’s history. The venue sold out and extra exhibition capacity was added. China, the United States and Italy sent the largest number of exhibitors. Asia had its strongest showing yet, with six country pavilions from China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.
Ministers and senior officials came from countries including Germany, Canada, Egypt, Austria, Japan, Kazakhstan and Nigeria.
The main deals announced during the week
XRG buys Shell’s stake in North West Shelf LNG
XRG, the international energy investment company of ADNOC, agreed on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, to acquire Shell’s 16.67% non-operated interest in the North West Shelf LNG project in Western Australia. The headline value is about USD 1.5 billion (about AED 5.5 billion): a base consideration of USD 1.45 billion subject to customary adjustments, plus a contingent payment linked to a milestone. The deal still needs regulatory approval.
North West Shelf has liquefaction capacity of 14.3 million tonnes per year and 4.4 trillion cubic feet equivalent of remaining resources, and has been operating for more than four decades. It is XRG’s first investment in Australia’s gas sector. XRG was launched in 2024 and reports an enterprise value of more than USD 80 billion (about AED 294 billion).
ADNOC, OpenAI and G42 sign an AI partnership
On 2 November 2026, the first day of the event, ADNOC signed a multi-year partnership with OpenAI and the Abu Dhabi technology group G42. ADNOC says it will be the first energy company to deploy OpenAI’s frontier AI across its operations. G42 provides the sovereign AI infrastructure, OpenAI provides the models and ADNOC brings its industrial data and operating expertise. The agreement also covers workforce training and cybersecurity for critical energy infrastructure. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman spoke at the opening ceremony.
TA’ZIZ closes AED 5.1 billion of financing in Ruwais
TA’ZIZ, the industrial chemicals platform in Al Ruwais Industrial City, reached financial close on AED 5.1 billion for its TA’ZIZ Terminal and TA’ZIZ Ammonia projects. According to the organisers, both financings were oversubscribed.
What else happened at ADIPEC 2026
In his opening address, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, listed five priorities for energy security:
- expanding accessible supply;
- securing routes to market;
- using operational intelligence;
- mobilising the policy, capital and insurance support needed to keep trade moving;
- investing in people.
The AI Zone was 20% larger than in 2025 and included Microsoft, NVIDIA, IBM, Dell, Huawei, Honeywell, Siemens, Unitree, Presight, AIQ and Etisalat. Exhibits included Gecko Robotics’ Raptor inspection robot and Honeywell’s Forge Upstream platform.
The next edition, ADIPEC 2027, will take place in Abu Dhabi from 1 to 4 November 2027.
What it means for companies in the UAE
The ADIPEC totals are deal announcements, not new rules: no fee, licence requirement or tax changes with them. Many of the agreements are framework deals and memoranda, and large transactions such as the XRG purchase still go through regulatory approval and closing.
For companies that sell goods or services to the energy sector, the practical rules sit with the buyers. ADNOC, for example, changed its supplier registration and bid scoring from 1 November 2026: bids are now scored 70% on commercial terms and 30% on In-Country Value (ICV). We covered the details in our article on ADNOC’s AED 60 billion local manufacturing programme.
A foreign supplier that wants to bid for UAE energy work usually needs the following in place:
- a UAE trade licence with the business activity that matches the contract scope;
- a choice between mainland and free zone that fits who the clients are and where the work is done;
- a corporate bank account in the UAE, opened before the first invoices are due;
- VAT and corporate tax registration where thresholds apply;
- an ICV certificate if the buyer scores ICV in tenders;
- visas for the staff who will deliver the work in the country.
How Atlant Capital can help
We help international companies enter the UAE market: choosing the jurisdiction and business activities, company setup on the mainland or in a free zone, opening a corporate bank account, visas for founders and staff, and tax registration. Our guide to company formation in the UAE sets out the steps, documents and typical timelines.
Conclusion
ADIPEC 2026 ended on 5 November 2026 with more than 50,000 deals worth an estimated USD 67 billion, 240,000 attendees and a record exhibition. The largest announcements were XRG’s USD 1.5 billion purchase of Shell’s North West Shelf stake, the ADNOC, OpenAI and G42 partnership and the AED 5.1 billion TA’ZIZ financing. The figures do not change any rules for businesses; supplier requirements are set by the buyers, such as ADNOC’s new 70/30 bid scoring.
Source: Khaleej Times.
FAQ
How much was signed at ADIPEC 2026?
According to the organisers, ADIPEC 2026 recorded more than 50,000 deals worth an estimated USD 67 billion (about AED 246 billion) over four days, from 2 to 5 November 2026 in Abu Dhabi. They put the growth at 26.4% compared with 2025. The event had 240,000 attendees from 170 countries.
What did XRG buy from Shell at ADIPEC 2026?
XRG, ADNOC’s international investment company, agreed to buy Shell’s 16.67% non-operated interest in the North West Shelf LNG project in Australia for about USD 1.5 billion. The base consideration is USD 1.45 billion plus a milestone-linked contingent payment. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.
When is ADIPEC 2027?
ADIPEC 2027 will be held in Abu Dhabi from 1 to 4 November 2027. The 2026 edition took place at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 2 to 5 November 2026 and was hosted by ADNOC.
Do the ADIPEC 2026 deals change rules for companies in the UAE?
No. The deal total does not change fees, licensing or tax rules. Suppliers to the energy sector follow the buyers’ own procedures; for example, from 1 November 2026 ADNOC scores bids 70% on commercial terms and 30% on In-Country Value.
