Jacqueline El Boghdadi: How ADNOC Distribution is reinventing the road trip experience

When most people think of a fuel station, they imagine something purely functional. A quick stop, a fill-up, and back on the road. But Jacqueline El Boghdadi wants to completely change that perception.

As Chief Marketing Officer of ADNOC Distribution, El Boghdadi is helping transform the company from a traditional fuel retailer into what she calls a “mobility and convenience destination of choice”.

At the heart of that transformation is The Hub, ADNOC Distribution’s new roadside retail concept that combines fuel, EV charging, dining, convenience shopping, fitness, and even workspaces into one destination.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Hustle, El Boghdadi explained that today’s consumers want far more than just fuel. “We’re all busy. Everybody is hustling,” she said. “Consumers want to do more in the few minutes they stop on the way.”

That shift in consumer behaviour is already paying off. ADNOC Distribution’s non-fuel retail business grew 14 per cent in gross profit in 2025, while transactions rose 9 per cent. According to El Boghdadi, customers are increasingly choosing stations based on convenience and experience rather than simply location.

The company’s strategy revolves around creating destinations tailored to how people live and commute. For office-goers, that could mean grabbing coffee, breakfast, or charging an EV while taking a work call in a dedicated pod. For residents, it could mean a quick grocery run, a meal, or even a game of padel without leaving the neighbourhood.

“We don’t want residents to leave their communities to do basic necessities,” El Boghdadi said. “And we don’t want commuters to stop at multiple places.”

The Hub concept is central to ADNOC Distribution’s long-term growth plans. Six hubs have already launched in 2025, with five more planned this year and 30 targeted by 2030. The concept is expected to contribute about Dh30 million in earnings by the end of the decade.

One of the biggest drivers behind the expansion is food and beverage, an area ADNOC Distribution is heavily investing in through its expanded partnership with Americana Restaurants.

The partnership gives ADNOC Distribution access to all 11 of Americana’s international restaurant brands, significantly expanding the quick-service restaurant offerings across stations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Previously, ADNOC Distribution worked with Americana primarily through brands like KFC and Pizza Hut. Now, the collaboration opens the door for more than 200 restaurants across its network.

“It’s no longer just a landlord-tenant relationship,” El Boghdadi explained. “It’s a partnership that combines our locations and scale with Americana’s operational expertise.”

The company is also leaning heavily into AI and data-driven personalisation. With more than 2.6 million loyalty members and roughly 250 million annual transactions, ADNOC Distribution is using customer insights to tailor offers, optimise staffing, and improve service efficiency across its stations.

“If someone always buys coffee and fuel, or another customer prefers snacks and soft drinks, we understand those behaviours,” she said. “The goal is to create experiences and communication that are relevant rather than overwhelming.”

As EV adoption accelerates across the UAE, ADNOC Distribution is also positioning itself as a key player in the country’s charging infrastructure rollout. El Boghdadi acknowledged that range anxiety remains one of the biggest barriers preventing wider EV adoption and said expanding charging accessibility across highways is a major priority.

“We want customers to feel confident that there’s always a charger on the way,” she said.

For El Boghdadi, the future of roadside retail is no longer transactional. It is experiential, personalised, and deeply connected to modern lifestyles.