ADNOC — Key Facts
| Full Name | Abu Dhabi National Oil Company |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Owner | Government of Abu Dhabi (100%) |
| CEO | Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber |
| Daily Production | ~4+ million barrels of oil per day |
| Proven Reserves | ~100 billion barrels (world’s 12th largest) |
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, producing over 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day and managing Abu Dhabi’s vast hydrocarbon resources. Fully owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, ADNOC is the backbone of the UAE’s economy and one of the most strategically important national oil companies (NOCs) in the world.
Who Owns ADNOC?
ADNOC is 100% owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, represented through the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) — Abu Dhabi’s highest energy policy body. No private shareholders or foreign governments hold direct equity in ADNOC itself, though ADNOC has created subsidiary structures and listed some assets on public markets. For example, ADNOC Distribution (petrol stations) is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), and ADNOC has also listed shares in ADNOC Drilling, ADNOC Gas, and Borouge on the ADX. ADNOC’s Group CEO is Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who also serves as UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and was President of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai (2023).
History and Background
ADNOC was established on November 27, 1971, the same year the United Arab Emirates was formed as a federation. It was created to manage Abu Dhabi’s oil resources on behalf of the emirate and gradually replace the foreign oil concessionaires who had dominated Gulf oil production since the 1930s. Over the decades, ADNOC took over majority stakes in its operating companies, built world-class downstream facilities, and became a fully integrated energy company — from exploration and production to refining, petrochemicals, and distribution.
Scale and Operations
ADNOC operates through a group of more than 14 subsidiaries and joint ventures spanning the full energy value chain. Key entities include ADNOC Onshore (largest oil producer in UAE), ADNOC Offshore, ADNOC LNG, ADNOC Refining (Ruwais refinery — one of the world’s largest), BOROUGE (polyolefins joint venture with Borealis), ADNOC Drilling, and ADNOC Distribution (petrol stations). ADNOC exports oil and products to over 100 countries and has strategic partnerships with IOCs including BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and INPEX.
