For decades, the United Arab Emirates’ energy standing was measured primarily by its capacity to produce and export oil. That baseline remains vital, but it no longer captures the multi-layered character of Abu Dhabi’s evolving energy strategy. ADNOC still plans to raise crude production capacity to five million barrels per day by 2027, while the country is simultaneously expanding nuclear generation, LNG, overseas renewables and the electricity infrastructure required by an increasingly digital economy.

Rather than marking a conventional transition away from hydrocarbons, this strategy is widening the range of assets through which Abu Dhabi can exercise energy leverage. Oil remains the foundation, while technology, capital and cross-border infrastructure are being layered onto it.

Rather than marking a conventional transition away from hydrocarbons, this strategy is widening the range of assets through which Abu Dhabi can exercise energy leverage. Oil remains the foundation, while technology, capital and cross-border infrastructure are being layered onto it.

Barakah and the 24/7 Electricity Economy

The four units of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant have a combined generating capacity of 5,600 MW and can supply close to 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity needs. The plant has given the country a large source of continuous, low-carbon electricity at a time when electricity demand is being reshaped by industrial expansion and digitalisation.

Barakah’s original economic logic centred heavily on electricity diversification and reducing pressure on gas-fired generation. A new source of demand is now emerging: the rapid expansion of computing infrastructure.

The planned UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi is designed for up to 5 GW of AI data-centre capacity, while Stargate UAE will form part of the same computing ecosystem. G42 says the wider campus will draw electricity from a combination of nuclear, solar and natural gas.

Barakah matters in this equation because nuclear generation can provide the steady, low-carbon baseload required by energy-intensive computing. The intersection of nuclear electricity and computing therefore gives the plant a role extending well beyond the conventional electricity sector, tying energy policy directly to the UAE’s strategy of building Abu Dhabi into a major centre for artificial intelligence and advanced computation.

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