ABU DHABI, 3rd November, 2026 (WAM) – Italy has become the UAE's second-largest supplier of oil and gas equipment, with its market share rising to 17% in 2026, almost double its 2025 level, according to Valerio Soldani, Italian Trade Commissioner and Director of the Italian Trade Agency's Dubai Office.
Soldani clarified that the increase concerned market share rather than export value.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of ADIPEC 2026, Soldani said approximately one-third of Italian machinery and technology exports to the UAE serve the oil & gas and energy sectors.
He noted that Italian exports to the UAE across all sectors reached a record high in 2025, with total exports doubling over the past four years.
Soldani said 169 Italian companies are participating in ADIPEC 2026, including 50 under the Italian Trade Agency pavilion. This year's exhibition coincides with the agency's centenary, marking 100 years of promoting Italian products in international markets.
He described ADIPEC as one of the agency's most important trade exhibitions, providing Italian companies with opportunities to meet buyers from the UAE, the wider region and other markets. He added that the agency aims to secure more exhibition space in future editions.
Highlighting the UAE's importance as a market, Soldani said the agency plans to expand its presence and activities in the country through increased participation in exhibitions and trade events, alongside new initiatives starting in the fourth quarter of 2026.
He noted that the UAE's Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with various countries facilitate business with those markets.
More than 600 Italian companies have a direct presence in the UAE, benefiting from free zones and opportunities across the seven emirates to establish branches, set up assembly lines and conduct business, he added.
He stressed that such partnerships strengthen bilateral trade cooperation in practical terms, noting that business in the oil and gas sector depends on long-term relationships and projects spanning several years, rather than rapidly switching suppliers following purchases of equipment such as pipes or valves.