Abu Dhabi's state oil company ADNOC has signed a multi-year agreement with OpenAI and G42 to bring AI agents into its operations. The deal was announced today, during a visit to the UAE by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
ADNOC will become the first energy company to use OpenAI Frontier, a platform launched in February that allows businesses to build and manage AI agents. The companies have not disclosed the value of the agreement or when the system will be rolled out.
The signing was witnessed by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, following a meeting with Altman, The National reported. The agreement was one of four deals involving Abu Dhabi organisations, OpenAI announced on Monday.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said:
“The next frontier of AI is not simply doing things faster. It is making possible what was previously beyond reach. Through this landmark partnership with OpenAI and G42, ADNOC is taking a major step towards connecting intelligence across our entire business.”
Under the partnership, OpenAI's models will be combined with ADNOC's industrial data to build AI systems for different parts of the business.
These will run on G42-provided computing infrastructure in the UAE. The company is also building OpenAI's Stargate data centre in the country.
The first application will focus on planning oil and gas field development. ADNOC says the system could produce a complete development plan in hours, a process that currently takes months. Human experts will remain responsible for overseeing major decisions.
The companies also plan to connect different stages of ADNOC's operations, from production and refining to sales and trading. AI agents will analyse supply, demand, prices and profit margins before crude oil is even extracted, helping the company make decisions across its business.
Beyond its core operations, the agreement includes cybersecurity work through OpenAI's Daybreak Blue programme, as well as training for ADNOC employees. The deal is part of OpenAI's broader push into enterprise AI, following several partnerships with major consulting firms this year.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said:
“More capable AI can help us tackle some of the world's hardest problems – particularly around energy. By combining frontier AI, sovereign infrastructure and industry expertise, this first-of-its-kind partnership will help ADNOC move faster, operate more efficiently and make better decisions across the energy value chain. Together, we're shaping the future of AI-enabled energy.”
ADNOC says it has already rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to more than 40,000 employees. It also has over 200 AI applications and 70 robotics projects either in use or under development.
The announcement came during ADIPEC, the UAE's largest oil and gas conference. However, the event is taking place against a tense backdrop for the industry.
Last week, Reuters reported that ExxonMobil and Chevron had cancelled plans to send executives to the conference over safety concerns. Fears of further US strikes on Iran have also unsettled oil markets, according to the news agency.