Emarat signs AI and cybersecurity pact with Abu Dhabi’s G42

Key Points

1. Emarat and G42 signed a memorandum of understanding on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced digital technologies.
2. The deal covers energy-sector AI, digital sovereignty and next-generation service station concepts, with no binding commitments announced.
3. It links one of the UAE's established fuel retailers to the country's most prominent state-backed technology group.

The latest:

Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital sovereignty are the three pillars of a memorandum of understanding signed between Emirates Petroleum Company (Emarat) and Abu Dhabi technology group G42, announced on 26 October 2026 in Dubai. The two sides framed it as exploratory, covering potential cooperation areas rather than committed projects. Emarat described the agreement as supporting the next phase of its transformation.

Details:

• The signatories: Ahmad Abdulla Ahli, Emarat’s Chief People and Corporate Support Officer, signed for the fuel retailer, while Ali Al Amine, Chief Commercial Officer of G42 International, signed for the technology group. The announcement did not name other participating entities or disclose any financial terms attached to the understanding.
• What it covers: The companies listed four potential areas of collaboration: AI applications built for the energy sector, digital security and sovereignty, next-generation service station concepts, and related solutions. Each is described as an area to explore rather than a programme already under way, and no pilot sites were identified.
• Emarat’s framing: Ahli said the understanding reflects how Emarat is aligning technology adoption with long-term business value, operational readiness and changing expectations across energy and mobility. He pointed to smarter decision-making and greater business resilience as the outcomes the company is seeking from advanced technologies.
• G42’s framing: Al Amine said the aim is to combine G42’s AI, cloud and digital capabilities with Emarat’s sector knowledge and operational footprint to identify meaningful areas where digital solutions can support transformation in the energy sector. He described Emarat as one of the UAE’s most established energy companies.
• The retail angle: The reference to next-generation service station concepts places part of the agreement at Emarat’s customer-facing network rather than only in back-end systems. The companies said enhanced customer experiences sit alongside secure infrastructure and advanced digital capabilities among the collaboration’s stated goals.
• No timeline: Neither company set out a schedule for converting the memorandum into defined projects, and no implementation phases, budgets or target dates were disclosed. The announcement also stopped short of naming which of the four areas would be taken up first.
• The wider positioning: Emarat said the memorandum reinforces its focus on partnerships connecting the UAE energy sector with the country’s growing technology ecosystem, citing innovation, service delivery and future growth as the intended returns from that linkage.
• The companies: Emarat is an integrated energy company operating in the UAE across fuel retail and related services. G42 is an Abu Dhabi-based global technology group whose portfolio spans artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, and which has become the emirate’s principal vehicle for large-scale AI partnerships.

Between the lines:

The emphasis on digital security and sovereignty alongside AI is notable: fuel distribution and service station networks are critical infrastructure, and the agreement pairs that exposure with a state-linked technology provider. The absence of financial terms, timelines or named pilot projects keeps the understanding at the level of intent, not execution.

What’s next

Watch for a definitive agreement converting any of the four listed areas into funded projects, and for Emarat to identify which service stations would host next-generation concepts.