When oil was discovered in 1958, our late Founding Father Sheikh Zayed had the foresight to understand that our nation’s natural resources, if harnessed responsibly and effectively, would enhance the prosperity of our people and catalyse our country’s economic development. Equally, he recognised the value of partnership in building bridges with nations.
With this foresight, Sheikh Zayed welcomed partners from across the world to jointly develop our oil and gas resources. Over time, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) served as a strategic enabler of this critical effort. Through Adnoc's energy partnerships, underpinned by long-term oil and gas concessions, the UAE laid the foundation for strategic relationships with nations around the world. Today those relationships extend well beyond 50 years.
Opportunities across the energy sector will become key drivers of UAE's progress
These energy partnerships represented the building blocks of our economy and catalysed the socio-economic development of our great nation. They enabled us to construct roads, bridges and airports, open schools, universities and hospitals, develop world-class telecommunications and infrastructure and establish local industries.
While we continue to ensure the progress of our people, we remain focused on making substantial contributions to international socio-economic progress and development. We do so because world peace and human prosperity are the main pillars of our foreign policy. All of these efforts – domestic and foreign – have burnished the UAE’s reputation for soft power.
I have no doubt the UAE will continue to play a central role in the global dialogue. Indeed, the next 30 years will see the most transformative change around the world as a new generation of young people seek answers to the social, economic and sustainability challenges that humanity faces. They will seek bold leadership and a clear blueprint for a prosperous future.
Here in the UAE, those blueprints are Vision 2021 and Centennial 2071. And oil and gas will play a central role in ensuring those blueprints become achievements. The opportunities across the energy sector will become key drivers of progress. Recognising this, the UAE will continue to harness our energy sources to build the next era of growth. As ever before, we entrust Adnoc with this responsibility.
That is why I am excited to see the launch of Adnoc’s Energy for Life campaign. It is a bold, creative and compelling demonstration of the company’s critical role in enabling the UAE’s economic growth and diversification, empowering our nation’s most vital industries and emboldening the ambitions of everyone who calls the UAE home.
As a reliable supplier to the global economy and our commitment to responsible production of energy, the UAE will continue to use its energy resources to promote prosperity and strengthen bridges with our friends and partners in the international community.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed is UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs