Emirati and French organizations signed energy and artificial intelligence agreements in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, advancing cooperation in refining and technology as France seeks more secure fuel supplies.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the business dialogue where the agreements were signed, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said. Technip Energies and ADNOC Refining signed two contracts, covering a refining capacity enhancement project and a sustainable aviation fuel project.
ADNOC Gas and Schneider Electric signed an energy memorandum to assess technology and operational improvements. Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, G42 and Analog each signed a separate AI cooperation memorandum with AMI Labs. The memorandums concern AI research, cloud infrastructure and AI models, and robotics applications, respectively.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office gave no values or completion dates for the agreements.
The signings followed talks on maritime security and global energy supplies between Macron and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Oct. 19. The UAE President’s Office said the leaders also discussed investment, energy and AI.
France’s interest in secure supplies predates the visit. In a Sept. 18 address, Macron identified diesel, jet fuel and gas as priorities. He said disrupted energy routes and higher prices were imposing costs on French households and economic sectors, and described efforts to reduce reliance on routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The countries have maintained a Comprehensive Strategic Energy Partnership since 2022. At a meeting in Paris in February 2025, their presidents witnessed an AI cooperation agreement targeting investment in a proposed 1-gigawatt campus in France.
