Al Jaber Warns Energy Security, AI Infrastructure and Hormuz Navigation Are Now Defining Global Economic Stability

Washington / Abu Dhabi | EcoPulse24

ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber warned that global energy resilience now depends on three critical pillars: renewed infrastructure investment, artificial intelligence integration and the protection of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, describing the current conflict as a structural test of the global economy rather than a temporary regional crisis.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Dr. Al Jaber said disruptions linked to the conflict have exposed deep fragilities across global supply chains, extending far beyond oil markets into fertilizers, LNG, chemicals, aluminum, critical minerals, aviation and consumer goods.

“Hormuz is not just an oil story. It is an everything story,” Al Jaber said, warning that failure to defend freedom of navigation through the Strait risks setting a dangerous global precedent.

“Once you accept that a single country can hold the world's most important waterway hostage, freedom of navigation as we know it is finished,” he said. “If we do not defend this principle today, we will spend the next decade defending against the consequences.”

The comments come as oil markets continue adjusting to prolonged disruption across Hormuz-linked energy flows more than 80 days after the conflict began.

Fuel Prices, Fertilizer and Airfares Surge

Dr. Al Jaber said the impact is now feeding directly into the global economy, with fuel prices up 30%, fertilizer prices up 50% and airfares rising 25% amid tightening energy and logistics conditions.

He added that nearly 80 countries have already introduced emergency economic support measures since the conflict began.

According to Al Jaber, the world has drawn down around 250 million barrels from storage within just two months, leaving only 30 to 35 days of effective supply cover globally.

“Global spare capacity is around 3 million barrels a day. It should be closer to 5,” he said, warning that the energy sector remains “dangerously underinvested.”

ADNOC Accelerates Fujairah Expansion

As part of its resilience strategy, ADNOC confirmed it is accelerating construction of a second export pipeline to Fujairah Port designed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely.

Al Jaber said the new pipeline is already 50% complete and remains on track for delivery by 2027, eventually doubling the UAE’s export capacity outside Hormuz.

He also warned that while ADNOC could increase oil production within weeks, a return to 80% of pre-conflict shipping flows through Hormuz could still take four months, while full normalization may not occur before late 2026 or early 2027.

The UAE’s OPEC Exit and Energy Expansion

Al Jaber defended the UAE’s recent decision to exit OPEC, describing it as a “sovereign, strategic decision” aimed at increasing flexibility to invest, expand production and secure long-term energy partnerships globally.

“With demand for oil staying well above 100 million barrels per day into the 2040s, the world needs more of what the UAE produces: the lowest-cost, lowest-carbon barrels,” he said.

He stressed that natural gas is becoming increasingly strategic not only for power generation, but also for artificial intelligence infrastructure, manufacturing and industrial growth.

ADNOC currently plans to invest $150 billion over five years to expand production capacity, infrastructure and industrial operations.

AI Is Becoming an Energy Story

One of the strongest themes in Al Jaber’s remarks was the growing intersection between artificial intelligence and energy demand.

He warned that the global economy is underestimating how energy-intensive AI infrastructure will become over the coming decade.

Global data-center electricity demand is expected to double by 2030 to around 1,000 terawatt-hours, while data centers in the US alone could account for nearly 15% of national electricity demand by the end of the decade, up from roughly 5% today.

“In many ways, the AI race is an electron race,” Al Jaber said, arguing that countries capable of delivering reliable and affordable energy infrastructure will hold a strategic advantage in the AI economy.

He added that AI itself must become part of resilience systems during crises, saying: “AI must be built in, not bolted on.”

ADNOC Revenues and Investor Confidence Remain Strong

Despite regional tensions, Al Jaber said ADNOC’s revenues remain resilient and investor confidence in the UAE remains strong, supported by diversified infrastructure, strategic storage, flexible logistics and continued strong earnings across ADNOC’s listed subsidiaries.

He added that the UAE’s response to the crisis has reinforced global investor confidence in the country’s infrastructure, systems and long-term resilience.

EcoPulse24 Analysis

Dr. Al Jaber’s remarks represent one of the clearest strategic frameworks yet emerging from the Gulf around the future intersection of energy security, geopolitics and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The message extends beyond oil markets.

What ADNOC is effectively arguing is that future economic resilience will increasingly depend on:

• diversified export routes

• strategic storage

• redundant infrastructure

• AI-assisted crisis management

• and reliable large-scale electricity generation.

The comments also reinforce how deeply the Hormuz disruption has altered global macroeconomic conditions. The conflict is no longer being framed purely as a regional geopolitical issue, but increasingly as a systemic challenge affecting inflation, logistics, food security, aviation and industrial production worldwide.

The acceleration of Fujairah infrastructure, expansion outside Hormuz and the UAE’s post-OPEC positioning also suggest Abu Dhabi is preparing for a more flexible and globally competitive energy strategy centered on long-term market share, infrastructure resilience and AI-linked energy demand growth.