Today's Edition
ASILA AL BADI (ABU DHABI)
Building resilient supply chains is no longer simply about maintaining stockpiles but about developing the ability to manufacture essential products locally, according to Salama Alawadhi, Senior Vice President for Group Commercial & ICV & Industrial Development at ADNOC.
“Resilience today is not about holding more stock. It is about being able to make what you need, close to where you need it,” Alawadhi said.
Her remarks highlight ADNOC’s efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce dependence on international suppliers, particularly as recent global disruptions have exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains.
“During periods of global disruption, having manufacturing capacity in the UAE helped keep our operations running when international supply chains were under pressure. That is resilience in practice,” she said.
Through its In-Country Value (ICV) programme, ADNOC has supported the local production of specialised industrial equipment previously sourced from overseas.
Among the examples is Tubacex, which now manufactures corrosion-resistant casing and tubing at the UAE’s first facility producing corrosion-resistant alloy oil country tubular goods. The facility meets 100% of ADNOC’s requirements for these products.
Similarly, Baker Hughes has established manufacturing capabilities in Abu Dhabi for high-technology wellheads and Christmas trees, equipment that was previously imported.
SLB has also established the UAE’s first facility producing electric submersible pumps, alongside locally manufactured completion and wireline tools.
“In valves, where we previously relied heavily on imports, we now have seven qualified UAE manufacturers producing different categories of mechanical valves,” Alawadhi said.
The shift extends beyond oilfield equipment to electrical and automation products, with companies including Ducab, National Cables and Mark Cables manufacturing power and control cables locally, while Honeywell has established the UAE’s first gas detector manufacturing facility.
“Across ADNOC’s supply chain, we have enabled more than 130 critical product families to move from import dependence towards UAE manufacturing,” she added.
Beyond expanding production, ADNOC is also working to make its supply chain more accessible to local manufacturers and suppliers.
Following consultations with industry partners, the company identified opportunities to simplify procedures, improve visibility of future demand and accelerate processes.
“Industry told us where working with ADNOC could be simpler, where they needed earlier visibility of demand and where our processes could move faster,” Alawadhi said.
“We are introducing changes across In-Country Value, supplier registration, contracting strategies and market visibility, while presenting substantial localisation opportunities to the market.”
She added that feedback from more than 150 suppliers helped shape the next phase of the ICV programme.
“Their message was clear: keep ICV but make it simpler and focus it where it creates the most value,” she said.
As ADNOC continues to develop its local supply chain, Alawadhi emphasised that the goal extends beyond replacing imports to building long-term industrial capabilities within the UAE.
“When a capable manufacturer exists here, we want our projects to look locally first. This builds production capacity in the country, reduces our reliance on imports and makes our supply chain more resilient.”
