Plans are underway to significantly increase capacity in line with production increases at Adnoc, which plans to reach 5m bpd of output capacity by 2030. Courtesy Adnoc
Plans are underway to significantly increase capacity in line with production increases at Adnoc, which plans to reach 5m bpd of output capacity by 2030. Courtesy Adnoc
Plans are underway to significantly increase capacity in line with production increases at Adnoc, which plans to reach 5m bpd of output capacity by 2030. Courtesy Adnoc
Plans are underway to significantly increase capacity in line with production increases at Adnoc, which plans to reach 5m bpd of output capacity by 2030. Courtesy Adnoc

Adnoc's maritime subsidiary acquires UK firm's Middle East assets


Jennifer Gnana
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's shipping and maritime arm acquired all UAE-based assets of the UK's Speedy Hire, a provider of tools and equipment for the energy and industrial sectors.

Adnoc Logistics and Services will take ownership of Speedy's equipment, stock and other fixed assets from its Middle East business, it said in a statement. The company did not disclose the value of the transaction.

"Speedy has been an efficient and reliable equipment and manpower services specialist for several years, and their assets and skilled personnel in the region are valuable as we look to expand our offshore logistics operations," said Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, chief executive at Adnoc Logistics and Services.

The acquisition will help support its offshore logistics base at Abu Dhabi's industrial region of Mussafah, he added. Adnoc L&S provides logistics solutions to nine locations, including six artificial islands.

The transaction also involves a transitional services agreement for four months to facilitate the transfer of assets.

Speedy's 600 employees will be on-boarded by the Abu Dhabi firm at its Mussafah base.

More than 2,000 pieces of equipment, including cranes, forklifts, firetrucks and other high-value machinery used in onshore and offshore material handling services will be transferred to Adnoc L&S.

The acquisition forms part of the Adnoc subsidiary's ongoing fleet expansion plans. The company acquired 16 deep-sea vessels including six Very Large Crude Carriers with a total capacity of 12 million barrels over the last six months.

Plans are underway to significantly increase capacity in line with production increases at Adnoc, which plans to reach 5m bpd of output capacity by 2030.

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Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

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Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

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9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

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