Energy attacks threaten global stability, says UAE minister

Dubai: The UAE has warned that attacks on energy infrastructure are affecting operations and could have wider global consequences, as regional tensions continue to escalate.

UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, said energy facilities should not be targeted, as critical infrastructure across the region comes under attack.

‘Energy infrastructure should never be a target,’ he said in a LinkedIn post.

Al Jaber, who also spoke with the Wall Street Journal, said, “This is not a military exchange. This is an attack on a peaceful nation, a nation that has been working diligently and very hard for diplomacy.”

Al Jaber said energy sites across the region, including those of Adnoc, have come under attack.

These facilities are civilian and play a key role in supporting economies and daily life. Dr Jaber, also the chief executive of Adnoc, said, “When energy systems are targeted, the consequences are felt by our teams on the front line, by communities here in the Emirates, and by households and economies around the world.”

“The reality is simple: energy security is global economic stability,” he said.

The UAE has called for de-escalation and urged that attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure must stop, stressing the need to ensure energy continues to flow safely worldwide. “We must de-escalate, restore stability, and ensure energy continues to flow safely to the world,” said Al Jaber.

An Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field has pushed the Middle East conflict into dangerous new territory, raising concerns over global energy supplies and regional escalation.

In retaliation, Iran struck energy infrastructure in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait in a blatant act of aggression.

The UAE’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that air defences have shot down seven ballistic missiles and 15 drones fired from Iran today.

This brings the total number of ballistic missiles its defences have downed during the war to 334 and the number of drones to 1,714, it said. Its defences have also intercepted 15 cruise missiles, the ministry added.