UAE Signs New Contracts to Develop Energy Sector

The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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UAE Signs New Contracts to Develop Energy Sector

The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The United Arab Emirates awarded ADNOC Drilling a five-year contract to provide integrated drilling services for the development of the Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi.

The new contracts in the oil and gas sector are part of the Emirati authorities' efforts to increase the production capacity of energy supplies.

The $412 million contract will be implemented by ADNOC Offshore and start in the second quarter of 2023.

ADNOC Drilling, listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, announced it would provide integrated drilling services to the Upper Zakum field, the largest producing field in ADNOC’s portfolio, the second-largest offshore oilfield, and the fourth-largest oilfield in the world.

The services provided by ADNOC Drilling will enhance the efficiency of the project's production operations and achieve significant cost savings.

It would also support the company's plans to accelerate the goal of raising its production capacity responsibly to contribute to meeting the growing global demand for energy.

Chief Executive of ADNOC Drilling Abdulrahman al-Seiari said: "We are pleased" that the company has obtained this contract, which will contribute to "effective development of the Upper Zakum field and enable ADNOC to realize accelerated production capacity targets to responsibly supply energy to a world which sees continuously rising demand."

He added: "This contract award further demonstrates the delivery of our strategic objective to expand our oilfield services (OFS) business as we continue to work towards our goal of further doubling OFS revenues by 2025. This contract will add 20 percent to our annual revenue compared with 2022."

In a statement, ADNOC Drilling announced it was committed to expanding its comprehensive suite of services in the Oilfield Services (OFS) division to enable the efficient and competitive delivery of start-to-finish drilling and well completion for the benefit of its customers.

In 2022, ADNOC Drilling had 40 operational Integrated Drilling Services (IDS) rigs, with OFS revenue reaching $405 million, an increase of 23 percent from the previous year.

Previous IDS contract awards in 2022 include a $1.3 billion award for the Ghasha Megaproject, a $1.6 billion award for integrated drilling fluid services, and a $777 million for wireline and perforation services.

Furthermore, ADNOC Logistics & Services, the shipping and maritime logistics arm of ADNOC, announced the deployment of five new-build Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC).

The five VLGCs (Al Ain, Zakher, Rabdan, al-Salam, and Baynounah), each with a capacity of 86,000 cubic meters, have dual-fuel engine technology and use LPG as their primary fuel source, making them among the lowest-emission vessels of this type.

The gas carriers were built at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China, and will be owned and operated by AW Shipping, an ADNOC L&S joint venture with Wanhua Chemical Group (Wanhua).

The VLGCs, which transport liquified petroleum gas (LPG), will provide ADNOC L&S greater flexibility to meet growing global gas demand.



Indian Refiners Avoid Russian Oil in Push for US Trade Deal

An employee walks inside the premises of an oil refinery of Essar Oil in Vadinar in the western state of Gujarat, India, October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
An employee walks inside the premises of an oil refinery of Essar Oil in Vadinar in the western state of Gujarat, India, October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
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Indian Refiners Avoid Russian Oil in Push for US Trade Deal

An employee walks inside the premises of an oil refinery of Essar Oil in Vadinar in the western state of Gujarat, India, October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
An employee walks inside the premises of an oil refinery of Essar Oil in Vadinar in the western state of Gujarat, India, October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

Indian refiners are avoiding Russian oil purchases for delivery in April and are expected to stay away from such trades for longer, refining and trade sources said, a move that could help New Delhi seal a trade pact with Washington, according to Reuters.

The US and India moved closer to a trade pact on Friday, announcing a framework for a deal they hope to conclude by March that would lower tariffs and deepen economic cooperation.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Reliance Industries are not accepting offers from traders for Russian oil loading in March and April, said a trader who approached the refiners.

These refiners, however, had already scheduled some deliveries of Russian oil in March, refining sources said. Most other refiners have stopped buying Russian crude.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said: “Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy” to ensure energy security for the world's most-populous nation.

Although a US-India statement on the trade framework did not mention Russian oil, President Donald Trump rescinded his 25% tariffs on Indian goods, imposed over Russian oil purchases, because, he said, New Delhi had “committed to stop directly or indirectly” importing Russian oil.

New Delhi has not announced plans to halt Russian oil imports.

India became the top buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, spurring a backlash from Western nations that had targeted Russia's energy sector with sanctions aimed at curtailing Moscow's revenue and making it harder to fund the war.

One regular Indian buyer is Russia-backed private refiner Nayara, which relies solely on Russian oil for its 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery. Sources said Nayara may be allowed to keep buying Russian oil because other crude sellers pulled back after the European Union sanctioned the refiner in July.

Nayara also does not plan to import Russian crude in April due to a month-long refinery maintenance shutdown, a source familiar with its operations said.

Nayara did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Indian refiners may change their plan and place orders for Russian oil only if advised by the government, sources said.

Trump's order said US officials would monitor and recommend reinstating the tariffs if India resumed oil procurement from Russia.

Sources said last month that India was preparing to cut Russian oil imports below 1 million bpd by March, with volumes eventually falling to 500,000–600,000 bpd, compared with an average 1.7 million bpd last year. India's Russian oil imports topped 2 million bpd in mid-2025.

The intake of Russian oil by India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer and importer, declined to its lowest level in two years in December, data from trade and industry sources show.

 


IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.


Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.