CERAWeek 2026: ADNOC CEO stresses need for Strait of Hormuz to be reopened

A senior ADNOC official has claimed that “weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz is an act of economic terrorism with global impact far beyond energy markets.”

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, ADNOC managing director and Group CEO, said that when the Strait is threatened, “the human cost is exponential, and the consequences reach factories, farms and families around the world.” 

He called for the Strait, as one of the world’s “critical arteries,” to remain open, stating:

“Twenty-one miles wide. Twenty million barrels a day. Nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. Over a third of the world’s fertilizer. Almost a quarter of the world’s petrochemicals and significant amounts of industrial metals.

In short, much of the oxygen of the global economy runs through a single throat. Yet, Iran believes that choking it is an acceptable strategy.

When Hormuz is squeezed, the pressure is immediately felt around the world. In just three weeks, the price of oil has risen by 50%. This is raising the cost of living for those who can least afford it and slowing economic growth everywhere…

And no country should be allowed to hold Hormuz hostage, not now, not ever. And while we appreciate all efforts to stabilize markets and reduce prices, this is not a supply issue. It is a security issue, and it has only one durable answer, keeping the Strait open. We cannot trade our way out of this crisis."

Dr. Al Jaber said the UAE had adopted all possible measures to prevent conflict, but when it started, “we were ready."

He continued:

"Our defenses have been tested. Our resilience has been tested. Our character has been tested. And we withstood. At ADNOC, we took hits no civilian enterprise, let alone one focused on delivering energy to the world, should ever have to take. We are deploying extraordinary measures to keep our people safe and to make sure, as much as possible, every customer and every stakeholder gets what they need.

We will continue to defend our nation and our way of life. In fact, this experience has only reinforced our model of pragmatic progress, rooted in realism not ideology, steady in its course, practical in its approach and relentlessly focused on results.

That is why our relationship with all our partners, including the United States, endure. Through ADNOC, XRG and Masdar we have already invested more than $85 billion in US energy assets, supporting power generation, advanced chemicals and jobs across 19 states…We are actively exploring opportunities across the whole value chain. And we are keen to expand our investments in hard infrastructure from storage to liquefaction to regasification plants.”

Dr. Al Jaber concluded by calling on global energy leaders to attend ADIPEC in November.

“You can choose to be an architect of stability or a spectator to volatility. And if you believe that collaboration should prevail over conflict, then your place is with us," he concluded. “Stability does not happen on its own. It must be built deliberately and collectively.”