The UAE Enters its SAF Era: Real projects, real policy, real momentum
The United Arab Emirates is quickly emerging as a key player in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Middle East.
Aviation is central to the UAE’s economy, contributing over 13% of national GDP, so decarbonising the sector is strategically important, not to mention closely aligned with the country’s national sustainability ambitions: SAF is now positioned as a core pillar of the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy.
Over the last two years, it has adopted a national SAF policy, published a SAF roadmap with concrete production and blending goals, submitted a new State Action Plan to ICAO with 13 SAF and low-carbon fuel projects, and begun construction on its first commercial-scale SAF plants.
Now, the latest development adds a new layer of support: the UAE is preparing to introduce a SAF mandate for airlines.
From Voluntary 1% to a Binding SAF Mandate
In December 2023, the UAE approved its General Policy for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, which set two headline goals:
Produce 700 million litres of SAF annually by 2030
Reach a voluntary target of 1% SAF (locally produced) in fuel supplied to national airlines at UAE airports by 2031
According to Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the government is now working with Gulf carriers and other stakeholders to move from this “soft requirement” to a formal SAF mandate. So while the current 1% target is voluntary, not yet compulsory, this sets a very strong signal for airlines, producers, and all players across the value chain that it’s time to get moving on SAF.
The UAE wants to “hit the ground running” on SAF adoption and sees itself as having the “soft power” to help drive global uptake. With this in mind, authorities are analysing what a binding mandate would mean for airlines’ operations and costs, including how these might be passed on to consumers.
13 SAF and Low-Carbon Fuel Projects in the National Action Plan
In October 2025, the UAE submitted the third edition of its State Action Plan on Aviation Emissions to ICAO. The updated plan includes a “basket of measures” with:
42 projects in operations and technology
13 projects specifically related to SAF and low-carbon aviation fuels
This re-confirms that SAF is not a single flagship initiative but a portfolio of projects, ranging from production to infrastructure and enabling measures.
Concrete Build-Out: Fujairah and Abu Dhabi Projects
Alongside policy and planning, the UAE now has tangible SAF capacity moving into construction and development.
Construction has begun on the UAE’s first commercial SAF production facility in Fujairah, led by MENA Biofuels in partnership with ENOC and other stakeholders. The plant will produce125 million litres per year in Phase I, with UCO as its feedstock (around 18% of the UAE’s 2030 SAF production target).
Furthermore, in November 2025, Masdar and Tadweer Group announced a joint development agreement for Abu Dhabi’s first commercial-scale waste-to-SAF facility. The plant is expected to process around 500,000 tonnes of biomass and municipal solid waste per year. This follows earlier feasibility work by Masdar and partners on waste- and hydrogen-based SAF production in the UAE.
Together, these two projects alone represent hundreds of millions of litres of potential SAF output annually, tightly aligned with the 700-million-litre 2030 goal.
International Projects
The UAE is part of a bid, alongside UK-based Chinook Hydrogen, to develop a SAF production plant at Hong Kong International Airport, a potential “blueprint” to replicate in the UAE. This shows UAE is thinking not just as a domestic SAF market, but as a global SAF investor and technology partner.
Why This All Matters
Against this backdrop, the Sustainable Aviation Futures MENA Congress in Dubai (10–12 February 2026) lands at a pivotal moment for the UAE and the wider region.
Sustainable Aviation Futured MENA will offer a platform for:
Policymakers to share how the UAE’s SAF mandate and regulatory framework are being structured
Airlines and airports to discuss operational, cost and infrastructure impacts of a mandate
Energy companies, technology providers and EPC contractors to showcase how projects like Fujairah and Abu Dhabi were structured, financed and de-risked
Investors and regional stakeholders from across MENA and around the world to explore how they can plug into the UAE’s emerging SAF value chain, from feedstocks and hydrogen to CO2 utilisation and offtake
Instead of debating whether SAF will happen in the region, discussions in Dubai will focus on how fast it can scale, how mandates will be designed, and how regional partners can share in the opportunity.