Dubai’s Lootah Biofuels to launch sustainable aviation fuel in UAE market

Dubai: Dubai-based Lootah Biofuels has become one of the first local companies to supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the UAE market. The company said in a statement on Monday that it plans to unveil ‘the achievement’ at the Dubai Airshow later this year.

Lootah Biofuels said it has adopted a three-phase roadmap for SAF deployment. In the short term, it plans to import SAF to meet immediate market demand.

The medium-term plans are to operate a local production facility in the UAE. In the long-term, the company said in plans to localise full production to “enhance energy security, reduce imports, and create more green jobs,” it said in a statement.

The company said it has already completed engineering and feasibility studies for establishing a dedicated SAF production plant in the UAE.
Established in 2010, Lootah Biofuels was the first commercial biofuel company in the Middle East.

It is partnering with international production facilities to add this fuel to its extensive portfolio of bio-based products. The fuel is produced from Used Cooking Oil (UCO) and waste-derived fats, in accordance with ASTM D7566-24 and ICAO CORSIA standards.

The fuel produced from used cooking oil and waste-derived fats, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional jet fuel. The fuel can be blended with traditional Jet A-1 fuel up to 50 per cent by volume and offers cleaner combustion with very low sulfur content.

"As one of the first local suppliers of SAF, we are proud to launch SAF in the UAE market and showcase it at Dubai Airshow to local and international stakeholders and leading companies in the aviation industry," said Yousif Lootah, CEO of Lootah Biofuels.

Lootah added, “This initiative reflects Lootah Biofuels’ sustainable commitment to innovation, reinforces our alignment with the UAE’s sustainability vision, and brings us closer to our aspirations of collaborating with global aviation partners to accelerate decarbonization."
The launch aligns with global aviation industry efforts to reduce carbon emissions and the UAE’s commitment to advancing aviation sector sustainability goals.

The UAE government has committed to investing heavily in sustainable aviation technologies as part of its broader Net Zero 2050 strategy. The country’s two major airlines - Emirates and Etihad - have also invested heavily to tap into the nascent global SAF market.

Emirates recently expanded its partnership with Neste for the supply of over 3 million gallons of blended SAF in 2024 and 2025, and took delivery of 3,000 metric tonnes of neat SAF from Shell Aviation at London Heathrow Airport.

UAE’s flag carrier Etihad has committed for more than a decade to pioneering the development of SAF supply chains in the UAE and beyond, and since 2019 has driven the Boeing Greenliner Programme sustainability initiative.