Key Takeaways
- The UAE’s SAF policy, approved in October 2023, targets about 700 million litres of production a year by 2030 and a voluntary goal of at least 1% local SAF in the fuel supplied to UAE airlines at UAE airports by 2031. Neither is a legal mandate.
- A mandate is under study. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said in November 2025 that it was assessing one, and as of 7 October 2026 we found no published requirement.
- Supply is the gap. The first commercial plant, in Fujairah, is under construction at 125 million litres a year for its first phase, about 18% of the 2030 target. Emirates bought 7,519 tonnes in 2024-25, at airports outside the UAE, and over 28,000 tonnes in 2025-26.
Most pages on sustainable aviation fuel explain what it is. Operators in the UAE need something different: what the country requires, what is being built, and where SAF can actually be bought. This guide sets out the policy text, the projects and the purchases as they stood on 7 October 2026. For the basics of the fuel itself, see our explainer on what sustainable aviation fuel is.
What Does the UAE’s SAF Policy Actually Require?
Nothing binding on airlines yet. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure’s General Policy for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, dated October 2023, sets objectives and a voluntary target:
| Item | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Production capacity of about 700 million litres a year | 2030 | Policy objective |
| Research, development and practical application of SAF technology | 2025 | Policy objective |
| At least 1% of fuel supplied to UAE airlines at UAE airports from local SAF | 2031 | Voluntary |
| Fee exemptions, reduced government fees, financing costs, insurance and customs duties | None set | “Optional and indicative” |
| SAF mandate | None set | Under assessment |
The policy also assigns roles. The Ministry and the General Civil Aviation Authority lead, airports must build facilities to receive, store and distribute SAF, and fuel suppliers must give buyers complete sustainability documentation. The UAE has also said it could export at least half of the 700 million litres. Aviation Week reported in January 2026 that sales to markets such as the EU could bring in a cumulative $1.7 billion by 2030.
Is a UAE SAF Mandate Coming?
It is being studied. At the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, Sharif Al Olama, the Ministry’s undersecretary for energy and petroleum affairs, said the government was moving to the next phase of understanding the impact of a SAF mandate, while adding that it was cautious about new mandatory requirements. Technical Review Middle East reported an economic assessment expected within a year and meaningful progress by 2028. A law firm’s August 2026 survey still lists the UAE as a voluntary blending programme.
The policy itself says the Ministry will assess progressively rising supply targets for domestic aircraft operators and fuel suppliers. A mandate could fall on both. Until then, anything above the 1% goal is a commercial choice.
Which UAE SAF Projects Are Real, and How Big Are They?
Four are on the record, and only one has begun construction.
- Fujairah: MENA Biofuels began implementing the UAE’s first commercial SAF plant in November 2025, using used cooking oil and waste feedstocks. Phase I is 125 million litres a year for $200 million, rising to 250 million with Phase II, and it has signed an offtake MoU with Emarat.
- Abu Dhabi: Masdar and Tadweer signed a joint development agreement in November 2025 for a plant processing 500,000 tonnes of waste a year, with no operating date given.
- Dubai: Emirates and ENOC signed an MoU for feasibility studies on SAF supply at the Dubai hub, with no volumes.
- Research: the Air-CRAFT consortium links ADNOC, Boeing, Emirates, ENOC, Etihad, Honeywell, Khalifa University and Masdar.
Even if both Fujairah phases are built, they cover about 36% of the 2030 objective, and we found no report of a UAE commercial SAF plant operating by 7 October 2026. Capacity announced is not fuel delivered.
Who Is Actually Buying SAF Now?
Airlines buy where supply exists, and Emirates’s named purchases in 2024-25 were all outside the UAE. It procured 7,519 tonnes that year at airports including Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Oslo, Singapore, Paris, Lyon and Nice. Gulf News reported in July 2026 that it bought more than 28,000 tonnes in 2025-26, cutting emissions by more than 93,000 tonnes by the company’s own figures. That is nearly four times the year before. For context, four of those seven airports are in EU countries, where ReFuelEU Aviation has required suppliers at EU airports to blend SAF since 2025.
Globally, IATA estimated in June 2026 that SAF would reach 2.4 million tonnes, or 0.8% of aviation fuel use, at a cost to airlines of $4.3 billion, according to WAM.
How Does the UAE Goal Compare With Mandates Elsewhere?
It is softer and later than rules that UAE airlines already meet abroad. ReFuelEU Aviation has required SAF to be 2% of fuel supplied at EU airports since January 2025, rising to 70% by 2050, with a separate 1.2% share of synthetic fuels from 2030. The UK mandate began at 2% in 2025 and rises to 22% by 2040, according to Orrick’s survey. The bases differ: the UAE goal counts only locally produced SAF supplied to UAE airlines at UAE airports, while the EU rule covers all SAF supplied at its airports. Even so, fuel bought at EU airports already carries a blending requirement that UAE airports don’t have.
What Should UAE Operators and Fuel Buyers Do Now?
Treat SAF as a documentation and procurement question, not a fleet one. Four steps make sense today:
- Ask where the SAF would come from. Local commercial supply isn’t reported yet, so claims will depend on uplifts abroad.
- Ask for the paperwork. The policy expects suppliers to provide full sustainability documentation, so request it with any quote.
- Check the blend. SAF is mixed into conventional fuel in approved proportions, so ask for the blend ratio and the certification of the SAF component.
- Watch the mandate. The economic assessment reported as due within a year of November 2025 is the next signal, and it could change contract terms.
Our aviation fuel supply page covers Jet A-1 and TS-1 and doesn’t list SAF, so ask us directly what documentation a given uplift can carry. Our UAE sourcing guide and guide to aviation fuel types cover the conventional fuel these blends sit in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SAF mandatory in the UAE?
No. The policy sets a voluntary goal of at least 1% local SAF in fuel supplied to UAE airlines at UAE airports by 2031. The Ministry has said it is assessing a mandate, and we found none published as of 7 October 2026.
Is SAF produced in the UAE?
Not commercially, as far as reports show. The first commercial plant, in Fujairah, began implementation in November 2025 and is planned at 125 million litres a year for Phase I.
How much SAF does the UAE plan to produce?
The 2023 policy sets an objective of about 700 million litres a year by 2030. The UAE has also said at least half could be exported.
Discuss Your Fuel Supply Needs
Tell us your airports, volumes and documentation requirements, and we’ll confirm what we can supply and what paperwork comes with it.