16
COVER STORY
AUGUST 2019 oilandgasmiddleeast.com
What are the industry trends that you
have noticed, and how do they impact
your role as an investor?
The global energy industry is at a cross-
roads. Amid growing urban population
and energy supply constraints, demand is
forecasted to grow by 27% worldwide by
2040 according to research by the Inter-
national Energy Agency.
Against this backdrop, Mubadala is
committed to execute an investment
strategy aiming to ensure reliable and
sustainable energy supply through re-
sponsible and fit-for-future investments. I
foresee that this will help maintain inves-
tor confidence and encourage further
commitment by key industry players to
support the development of the energy
sector. In an era of technological disrup-
tion, we are focusing our next invest-
ments on assets that will remain timely
and relevant across the energy spectrum
and amidst an evolving energy sector.
Certain industry experts refer to theintroduction and growth of electric ve-
hicles as a threat. On the contrary, for us
the future expansion of electric vehicles
presents an incredible opportunity as our
presence in polyolefins (advanced com-
pounds produced by Borealis and NOVA
Chemicals) will enable us to create value
from the increasing demand for light-
weight materials used in the production
of electric vehicles and other modes of
future transportation.
We are proud of the leading market po-
sition that our portfolio companies hold
in their sectors, the diversity of specialty
products they manufacture, and the in-
novative cutting-edge technologies they
implement, leading them to competitively
perform in our industry today and in the
foreseeable future.
As our portfolio grows and our operat-
ing companies flourish, we continue
to look for further suitable investment
opportunities built on mutually beneficial
partnerships with market leaders andkey industry players with a competitive
advantage. Creating value for our share-
holder is our overarching goal and drives
everything we do.
We have seen topics like digitalisation,
the talent gap and vertical integration
come up increasingly often. What are
your thoughts on these trends within
the region?
The energy industry is going through
an era of disruption driven by tech-
nological innovations, environmental
concerns and geopolitical challenges; we,
as Mubadala, are continuously looking
at ways to champion innovation. For
example, Cepsa, one of Spain’s largest
integrated energy companies, is respon-
sible for meeting 15% of global demand
for Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB), and is
the world’s leading producer of this raw
material primarily used in the production
of biodegradable detergents and house-
hold products.plastics and chemicals companyNOVA Chemicals is a Canadian