After a turbulent first half of 2026 for Mideast Gulf oil and gas producers, the UAE, one of the region’s largest, is eyeing a set of strategic pathways that looks much different than many in the country may have anticipated just four months ago. The now-former Opec member is taking stock of its options and priorities in a world where it lacks artificial restrictions on its energy production but must contend with new and persistent uncertainty around the methods of getting its oil and gas to market. For now, the UAE is forging ahead with plans to develop new upstream projects with the help of international investors while considering its next phase of infrastructure initiatives to enhance its resilience to potential future disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The crisis that began with Iran’s near-closure of the strait on Feb. 28, following US-Israeli attacks and severely restricting regional oil and gas flows, does not appear to have dulled international upstream players’ interest in the UAE. To wit, last week, Abu Dhabi announced the award of the massive Bab Gas Cap concession to a consortium led by state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (Adnoc) on 60% but comprising a roster of international heavy hitters, including TotalEnergies and BP (each with 10% stakes), China’s CNPC (8%), Japan’s Inpex (5%) and others. The project, with planned production of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day and an estimated price tag of around $8 billion, is one of two major gas-expansion schemes in the UAE slated for a final investment decision this year. Both would support wider plans to move the UAE toward overall gas self-sufficiency by 2030, the ongoing build-out of the country’s petrochemical sector and Adnoc’s plans to expand its LNG export capacity. The partnership will help Adnoc dilute risk and costs as it advances other major capital-intensive projects. Energy Intelligence understands that Abu Dhabi has not sweetened its upstream fiscal terms to attract investment but is instead betting that its low extraction costs, particularly for crude oil, and efforts to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz will be sufficient to draw partners and capital.