U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is set to visit the UAE in his first international trip as energy secretary. Wright’s visit to Abu Dhabi will be the first stop as part of a regional tour across the Middle East.
This visit follows the successful UAE leadership delegation’s visit to Washington, DC in March, where both sides reinforced their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral ties – particularly across energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI). During the visit, the UAE committed to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework in the U.S.
Wright to engage with key UAE leaders
During his visit, Secretary Wright will engage with senior UAE leaders in government and industry, including:
- Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
- Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, managing director and group CEO of ADNOC, chairman of Masdar, and executive chairman of XRG.
- Mohamed Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment, managing director and CEO of ADQ.
- Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court.
- Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the U.S.
- Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador to the UAE.
The agenda will focus on expanding cooperation to enable sustainable economic growth and energy innovation across both nations.
Commenting on Wright’s visit, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said, “His presence reflects the strength and depth of the UAE-U.S. strategic relationship and our shared commitment to energy security, economic growth and technological advancement. The UAE values its longstanding partnership with the United States – one built on mutual respect, common interests, and a shared commitment to invest in progress. As we look to the future, we see vast opportunities to deepen collaboration across energy, infrastructure, AI, and industry – anchored in the pro-growth, pro-investment, and pro-people approach that both our nations champion.”
UAE, U.S. to bolster joint investment initiatives
As part of the visit, Secretary Wright will also meet with senior energy, AI, and investment leaders, including:
- Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC Managing Director and CEO.
- Mohamed Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar.
- Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Upstream CEO.
- Khaled Salmeen, ADNOC Downstream CEO and XRG COO.
- Thomas Pramotedham, CEO of Presight.
- Dr. Bakheet Al Katheeri, CEO of Mubadala UAE Investments Platform.
- Syed Basar Shueb, CEO and Managing Director of IHC.
- Ahmed Yahia, CEO and Board Member of MGX.
- Magzhan Kenesbai, Acting Managing Director of AIQ
The leaders will discuss opportunities to enhance technological collaboration, accelerate cross-border trade, and strengthen joint investment initiatives.
“I’m looking forward to making my first trip to the United Arab Emirates as Secretary of Energy, and I thank President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their invitation. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and I have already had productive discussions in Washington, DC and in Houston regarding our countries’ longstanding energy partnership. We will continue this dialogue to strengthen our countries’ strategic relationship, support the UAE’s recently announced investments in the United States, and advance global energy security during my visit,” stated Wright.
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Future Energy Leaders Majlis
In addition, Secretary Wright and Dr. Sultan Al Jaber will co-host a Future Energy Leaders Majlis, bringing together Emirati and American youth leaders – including alumni from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of California, Berkeley, and other institutions – alongside representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
The event will highlight the two nations’ shared commitment to developing next-generation talent to lead the global energy transformation.
Wright’s visit reflects a growing alignment between the UAE and the U.S. on the importance of energy abundance to support industrial growth and the rapid rise of AI. Through entities such as XRG and Masdar, the UAE is expanding its energy footprint in the U.S., with strategic investments in hydrogen, renewables, LNG and chemicals, including partnerships with ExxonMobil and NextDecade.
These initiatives form part of a broader effort, one that includes inward investment by U.S. companies in the UAE and the UAE-U.S. 123 Agreement for Civil Nuclear Cooperation, to enable the secure, sustainable and scalable energy systems needed to power future economies.
