Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz Visits ADNOC Headquarters, Strengthening UAE-Germany Energy Ties
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Friedrich Merz, paid a visit to the headquarters of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) during his official trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), further solidifying the energy partnership between the two countries.
This visit comes on the heels of a significant €14.7 billion investment by XRG—ADNOC’s international energy investment arm—to support the long-term growth of German industrial leader Covestro. The investment emphasizes ADNOC’s central role in advancing the strategic energy partnership between the UAE and Germany.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, Chairman of Masdar, and Executive Chairman of XRG, welcomed Chancellor Merz and his delegation. Senior executives from ADNOC, XRG, and Masdar also participated in the discussions.
During his visit, Chancellor Merz was briefed on ADNOC’s expanding contributions to Germany’s energy security, particularly through increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. ADNOC has recently secured offtake agreements for 1.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG with German companies from its upcoming Ruwais LNG project. Additionally, ADNOC is currently supplying 0.7 mtpa of LNG to German customers from existing facilities, ensuring continuous support until the Ruwais project becomes operational.
Chancellor Merz toured ADNOC’s state-of-the-art Panorama Digital Command Center and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab, gaining insights into how ADNOC integrates AI and advanced digital technologies throughout its operations.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber stated:
“It was an honor to welcome Chancellor Merz to ADNOC Headquarters and to reaffirm the strength of the long-term UAE-Germany strategic partnership, which is based on trust, anchored in mutual respect and built on delivery.”
He added, “The Chancellor’s visit to the UAE has provided a platform to unlock new opportunities for partnership across key sectors including energy, industry, AI and advanced technology and we look forward to greater collaboration with our German partners to create long-term value and drive socioeconomic progress.”
The visit also saw the announcement of a strategic collaboration agreement between ADNOC and RWE Supply & Trading GMBH (RWE) to explore LNG supply opportunities to Germany and European markets, of up to 1 mtpa for up to 10 years. The agreement also covers potential collaboration in LNG trading, regasification capacity in Germany and Europe, and broader opportunities across the gas and LNG value chain.
Additionally, Masdar and RWE agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pursue investment opportunities in battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects within Germany. Another key signing was an MoU involving Covestro, Fertiglobe, and TA’ZIZ to explore cooperation in ammonia and sustainable materials.
With these initiatives, the UAE and Germany are reinforcing their evolving and robust energy partnership, positioning ADNOC at the center of this collaboration. The recent public takeover of Covestro AG by XRG in December 2025, and previous milestone shipments including the first Middle East LNG cargo to Germany in 2023, highlight the growing energy and industrial ties between both nations.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
