The UAE is one of the world’s top oil and gas producers and has vast reserves, 96% of its estimated 100 billion barrels concentrated in Abu Dhabi, which ranks sixth globally. The Middle Eastern oil giants produce an average of 3.2 million barrels of petroleum and liquids per day. An interesting fact is that currently 30% of the UAE’s GDP is directly based on the oil and gas industry and 13% of its exports.

Some of the largest upcoming and ongoing oil and gas projects in UAE, including Upper Zakum Field Expansion, Hail and Ghasha Sour Gas Project, Ruwais LNG Project, Rich Gas Development Phase 1, and LNG Pre-conditioning Plant (LPP), are driving the sector’s growth into 2025.

This article covers the top 7 largest oil and gas projects in the UAE for 2025 according to the project cost. We’ll explore the project cost, location, current status, and major details about these oil and gas projects.

List of Top 7 Largest Oil and Gas Projects in UAE 2025 (according to project cost)

Upper Zakum Field Expansion

Adnoc is executing the largest oil and gas project in the UAE by expanding production at the Upper Zakum offshore field, one of the world’s largest oil assets. The project aims to boost the field’s output to 1.2 million barrels per day, making it a key pillar of Abu Dhabi’s hydrocarbon strategy.

The second phase, known as UZ 1.2MMBD EPC-2, is being implemented by Abu Dhabi’s Target Engineering Construction Company under a USD 500 million contract covering engineering, procurement, and construction works.

Adnoc, largest oil and gas companies in the UAE, has handled the front-end engineering and design internally and is focusing on enhancing offshore infrastructure at Assefiya Island, including gas lift compressors, dehydration units, vapour recovery systems, seawater treatment facilities, and modular technical rooms.

Hail and Ghasha Sour Gas Project

The Hail and Ghasha project is one of the UAE’s largest offshore gas developments, located in the Ghasha concession west of Abu Dhabi. Led by ADNOC with Eni and PTTEP as partners, the project aims to produce 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2030 while capturing 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

In 2023, ADNOC awarded USD 16.9 billion epc contracts for the project that covers the Hail, Ghasha, and Dalma fields and involves constructing 10 artificial islands to reduce environmental impact and support drilling flexibility. The fully unmanned offshore facilities are operated remotely from the onshore Al Manayif plant using advanced technologies like sensors, drones, AI-driven maintenance, and digital twins. 

ADNOC holds a 70% stake in the project, with Eni and PTTEP each holding 10%, and OMV and Lukoil 5% each. The project’s EPC contracts, valued at around USD 17 billion, have been awarded to companies including Bechtel, NMDC, Saipem, and Tecnimont, with Linde providing carbon capture technology.

Ruwais LNG Project

The Ruwais LNG project in Abu Dhabi’s Al Ruwais Industrial City is one of the largest LNG projects in the UAE, currently under development by ADNOC. Scheduled to begin operations in 2028 and reach full completion by 2048, the project will more than double the country's LNG production capacity to 15 Mtpa.

It will feature two 4.8 Mtpa liquefaction trains powered by electric, nuclear, and renewable energy sources, making it the first LNG export facility in the MENA region to operate on clean power. ADNOC has already committed USD 5.5 billion through an EPC contract awarded to a consortium led by Technip Energies, JGC Corporation, and NMDC Energy, while additional infrastructure contracts worth over USD 2.1 billion have been sanctioned to enhance LNG supply capabilities.

The project involves key international partners such as Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and Mitsui, each holding a 10% stake, reinforcing its global partnerships. Nearly 7 Mtpa of the facility’s output has already been committed to international customers. In February 2025, ADNOC signed a 15-year sales and purchase agreement with Japan’s Osaka Gas for the Ruwais LNG project.

Rich Gas Development Phase 1

The Rich Gas Development (RGD) project by ADNOC Gas is one of the largest upcoming oil and gas projects in the UAE’s oil and gas sector, with the final investment decision (FID) of first phase sanctioned in June 2025. The USD 5 billion contract covers major expansions and efficiency upgrades across four facilities – Asab, Buhasa, Habshan, and the Das Island liquefaction plant.

The first tranche of USD 2.8 billion was awarded to Wood for the Habshan site, while the remaining USD 2.3 billion was split between Petrofac and Kent Plc for upgrades at Das Island, Asab, and Buhasa. The project’s initial phase focuses on optimizing existing assets and unlocking new gas streams to enhance throughput and support growing demand.

Two additional phases at Habshan and Ruwais are planned to further increase production capacity. The project also emphasizes in-country value creation, with hundreds of new technical positions expected by 2029.

LNG Pre-conditioning Plant (LPP)

The ADNOC Gas LPP project is a major infrastructure initiative designed to support the Ruwais LNG facility by treating and preparing natural gas feedstock. It is being developed at the Habshan 5 facility, one of the largest integrated gas processing complexes in the world, located in Abu Dhabi. The project encompasses the construction of an LNG Pre-conditioning Plant (LPP), new compression facilities, and transmission pipelines that will connect Habshan 5 to the Ruwais LNG site.

The total contract value for the project is USD 2.1 billion. The LPP contract, valued at USD 1.24 billion, was awarded to a consortium of Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI) and Petrojet.

China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company received a USD 514 million contract to build transmission pipelines, while Petrofac Emirates LLC secured a USD 335 million contract to develop the compression facilities.

Dalma Offshore Sour Gas Development

The Dalma Offshore Sour Gas Development is a key component of the Ghasha concession, the world’s largest offshore sour gas project. Located roughly 190 kilometers northwest of Abu Dhabi, the development covers the Hair Dalma, Satah, and Bu Haseer fields. ADNOC has awarded two main EPC contracts totaling USD 1.46 billion to advance the project.

For the offshore scope, National Petroleum Construction Co. (NPCC) received a USD 514 million contract to engineer, procure, and construct four wellhead towers, pipelines, and umbilicals. The onshore facilities at Arzanah Island were contracted for USD 950 million to a joint venture between Técnicas Reunidas and Target Engineering. This package covers gas conditioning infrastructure, including dehydration, compression, and associated utilities.

The project targets a production capacity of 340 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day. The gas will be transported to the Habshan processing plant, where it will be converted into sales gas, condensate, and sulfur. Both contracts were awarded in November 2021, with completion expected in 2025.

Bu Hasa Field Expansion (New formation)

The Bu Hasa (New Formation) project represents the next phase in expanding the Bu Hasa field, one of the world’s largest onshore oil fields located southwest of Abu Dhabi. Scheduled to begin construction in 2027, the upcoming oil and gas project in the UAE builds on the earlier integrated expansion that increased production to 650,000 barrels per day by 2020 and incorporated gas lift and water injection phases.

ADNOC and its partners, including BP, TotalEnergies, China National Petroleum, China ZhenHua Oil, GS Energy, and Inpex, aim to further enhance production and operational efficiency. The project is part of ADNOC’s broader P5 program, which targets a daily production capacity of 5 million barrels.

Key elements include new oil gathering and pipeline systems, gas compression facilities, upgraded water treatment and injection networks, and improvements to the central degassing station by converting existing trains to accommodate de-salters. Digital oilfield technology will be deployed to enable remote monitoring and optimize well performance.

Conclusion - Oil and Gas UAE 2025

The UAE’s oil and gas sector stands at a transformative crossroads in 2025. Through a combination of major upstream expansions, downstream investments, and pioneering efforts in clean energy and industrial manufacturing, the nation is setting new benchmarks for production efficiency, global competitiveness, and sustainability.

ADNOC’s leadership and strategic partnerships with international players are accelerating the country’s path toward achieving its 5 million barrels per day target and enhancing its role in global markets. Beyond hydrocarbons, investments in digital oilfield technologies, low-carbon solutions, and domestic manufacturing are reshaping the industry’s landscape.

These top projects lay the groundwork for long-term economic resilience and energy transition for the UAE. The coming years will see continued growth and innovation as the UAE leverages its resources and expertise to meet evolving global energy demands.

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