UAE ready to partner in Guyana’s oil boom

Feb 18, 2026 News

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By Alliyah Allicock

(Kaieteur News) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signalled strong interest in deepening ties with Guyana’s fast-expanding oil and gas sector, declaring it stands ready to help build out the country’s energy industry.

Speaking virtually at the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo on Tuesday, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan Al Jaber, said Guyana’s rise as a major producer is already delivering jobs, investment and long-term national capacity.

Noting that Guyana’s economy has grown at a fast rate over the past three years, Dr. Al Jaber noted that this is not incremental growth, that this is structural transformation. “Guyana is proof of what progress looks like when energy becomes a platform for development in its border,” he said. According to the minister, energy demands continue to rise and reliable supply remain essential for economic growth, energy security and social stability. He noted that the world needs energy that is affordable, secured and energy that delivers lower emissions. “In other words, we need practical solutions that are grounded in reality,” he stated.

In the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Al Jaber explained that they have spent more than seven decades developing capabilities across the entire energy value chain, and have learned a simple but decisive lesson that these forces alone do not create prosperity, but partnerships do.
“True wealth is not defined by what lies beneath the ground, it is defined by what is built above it, strong institutions, competitive industries, a skilled workforce and long-term economical resilience,” he outlined.

Dr. Al Jaber is also the Managing Director of ADNOC, Executive Chairman of XRG and Chairman of Masdar. He noted that through reliable partnerships through these companies, they have brought the “know how, technology, capital and a global network of partners to develop oil and gas responsibility and at scale.”

“Through Masdar, we offer more than 20 years of experience working with countries across every continent, including in the Caribbean, to expand renewable energy through wind and solar,” he mentioned. According to him, Guyana is the most recent partner in the UAE – Caribbean Renewable Fund, and they have collaborated to install a solar farm on Wakenaam Island.

Noting UAE’s partnerships, he said, “Our model is deliberate, we work with countries not just in them. We build partnerships rooted in trust and create mutual respect and design for the long term and we focus on outcomes that matter, economic growth, jobs and industrial capabilities and lasting prosperity.” The importance of partnership, he said that “Guyana story is not just about growth, it is about choice. The choice to turn natural resources into lasting national strengths, not just for today but for generations. The choice to build partnerships that endure based on trust, share ambition, and mutual benefit and the choice to shape development on your own terms with confidence, clarity and sovereignty.”

The minister said that the UAE believes deeply in this journey, because they have lived it.

“We know that progress is not accidental, it is designed, it is governed and it is built with the right partners that is why we stand ready to collaborate with Guyana as a true partner that you can count on. Sharing our experience, capability and conviction to turn opportunity into real impact,” Dr. Al Jaber said affirmed.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir noted that his country will continue to be partners with Guyana to further develop, broaden and deepen its relationship in all areas. “I believe this conference is a very important conference, because it sets the agenda and sets the focus on what is really important, how we can harness energy in order to fuel the world. We are looking at an increase in the demand for energy because of technology, because of artificial intelligence. We are looking at more demand for oil and gas if we want to meet that demand, and we need to find we need to continue to produce it responsibly and efficiently, and we need to find a way to have a rational transition,” he explained.

He noted that in Saudi Arabia, they are determined to produce 50% of their electricity from renewable energies by 2030 and this he said they are ahead of schedule. Being able to achieve goals like these, the Minister of State noted the importance of partnerships.

“We believe in free enterprise, we believe in the free market, we believe in putting our hands together with anybody who will partner with us in order to achieve our common objectives. At the end of the day, as I said in the beginning, we all inhabit a very small, beautiful planet, and it’s our responsibility to make the planet work, and it will be our responsibility or fault if it doesn’t work. And we in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are determined to do everything we can, to work with our friends and partners and like-minded countries in order to do what is best for all of humanity and do what is best for the planet in a way that is rational, that is practical, that makes sense and that benefits everybody,” he expressed.

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• Dr. Sultan al-Jaber, Guyana Oil, Oil and Gas, Saudi Arabia, UAE

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