On November 18, 2025, NMDC Energy—the largest engineering enterprise in the Middle East—officially launched its Shanghai office, marking the Abu Dhabi-listed energy giant’s strategic push to deepen its footprint in China and strengthen global supply chain布局. Key NMDC Energy executives, including CEO Mr. Ahmed Aldhaheri, Vice President of Supply Chain Mr. Alnasser Kassem Al Dash, and Vice President of Yard Operations Mr. Ali Al Harthi, attended the opening ceremony and met with representatives of long-term Chinese partner suppliers (e.g., Zhongtian Technology, CITIC Pacific, Nanjing Iron & Steel Group, and Tianning) to explore future collaboration.

As a strategic partner of NMDC Energy, Topco (China’s leading energy consulting and exhibition service provider) provided full support: Topco General Manager Mr. Liu Hao and Deputy General Manager Ms. Qin Yao attended the ceremony and coordinated all meeting arrangements to ensure the event’s smooth execution.

4th from the right:Topco General Manager Mr. Liu Hao

3rd from the left:Topco Deputy General Manager Ms. Qin Yao 

NMDC Energy: Company Profile and Project Updates

A subsidiary of the NMDC Group, NMDC Energy is a global leader in EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) services for offshore and onshore energy projects, with deep market roots and extensive experience across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

At the opening ceremony, CEO Mr. Ahmed Aldhaheri noted: “Our current active project portfolio totals $22 billion, with ample reserves and strong growth momentum. We will launch more energy infrastructure and transition projects globally in the future. We are also closely monitoring China’s AI and smart manufacturing sectors—China’s innovation speed and implementation capabilities in high-end intelligent technologies are impressive, and NMDC Energy will prioritize optimizing collaboration with Chinese enterprises in high-end smart tech to upgrade global projects toward greater intelligence and efficiency.”

Key projects include:

1. Ras Al Khair Manufacturing Base (Saudi Arabia): A 400,000-square-meter facility with annual capacity of 40,000 tons, offering offshore facility manufacturing and onshore modular services;

2. UAE LNG Utility Project: Jointly won with Technip Energies (France) and JGC Holdings (Japan);

3. Taiwan (China) Offshore Wind Power Project: Completed 640MW EPC project;

4. Saudi Aramco Partnerships: 21 projects totaling AED 28 billion;

5. Taiwan (China) Offshore Subsea Gas Pipeline Project: $1.1 billion investment.

China Market Strategy and Procurement Trends

Mr. Ahmed Aldhaheri added: “Chinese enterprises’ strengths in technological innovation, supply chain management, and equipment manufacturing have become core pillars of NMDC Energy’s global project efficiency—over 60% of our current material supplies come from China. Breakthroughs in AI, smart manufacturing, and Chinese EPC firms’ engineering capabilities open new collaboration opportunities, such as smart operation systems, digital construction equipment, and joint delivery of large international energy projects.”

Moving forward, NMDC Energy will leverage its Shanghai office to expand China-focused procurement and collaboration, prioritizing five key areas:

• Oil & Gas Drilling Equipment: Deep-sea drilling platform components, intelligent control systems;

• High-End Pipeline Materials: High-pressure/corrosion-resistant pipes, subsea pipeline accessories;

• Renewable Energy Equipment: Offshore wind power foundations, PV energy storage modules;

• High-End Smart Technologies: AI operation systems, digital construction equipment, smart manufacturing lines;

• Partnerships with Leading Chinese EPC Firms: Jointly undertaking international energy projects, sharing engineering management expertise and technical resources.

Mr. Alnasser Kassem Al Dash, Vice President of Supply Chain: “China’s stable supply chain and cost advantages optimize our global project cost structure. The Shanghai office will establish a local procurement response team, plus dedicated roles for smart tech collaboration and EPC project coordination—to shorten delivery cycles and accelerate the implementation of high-end smart tech and engineering partnerships.”

Vision for Deepened China Collaboration

In talks with suppliers, Mr. Ali Al Harthi, Vice President of Yard Operations, emphasized: “The Shanghai office is the starting point for closer collaboration with Chinese partners. We will deepen ties with existing suppliers (e.g., Zhongtian Technology, CITIC Pacific)—expanding traditional cooperation in green energy and high-end manufacturing, while launching new partnerships in AI and smart manufacturing. We will also actively engage leading Chinese EPC firms to jointly explore large projects in emerging markets like Iraq, North Africa, and Nigeria.”

Mr. Liu Hao, Topco General Manager, stated: “We will leverage our industry resources to connect NMDC Energy with Chinese suppliers and EPC firms—especially matching high-quality partners in smart tech and engineering collaboration—to drive cooperation toward deeper ‘co-development, co-delivery, and co-sharing’.”

The Shanghai office launch is a key step in NMDC Energy’s global strategy, injecting new momentum into China-UAE energy industry cooperation. As collaboration deepens, China’s high-quality production capacity, smart technologies, and engineering strengths will better align with global energy project demand—contributing more to international energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

(Topco)