Abu Dhabi hosts oil summit as OPEC+ halts production hikes planned for first quarter of 2026

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Abu Dhabi opened a major oil summit Monday with officials offering bullish optimism that power demands for artificial intelligence and global aviation will boost energy prices, just hours after OPEC+ paused production increases planned for next year.

The comments at the annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference in the Emirati capital highlighted the contradictions in the market and in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producer that hosted the United Nations COP28 climate talks in 2023.

Sultan al-Jaber, the head of the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. who led COP28, described the energy market as needing “reinforcement, not replacement.” U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum applauded al-Jaber's remarks and criticized what he described as “a set of policies that have been driven by an ideology around climate extremism.”

“The demand for power is going to go up and up and up," Burgum said. "Today’s the day to announce that there is no energy transition. There is only energy addition.”

On Sunday, OPEC+ met and decided to increase its production by an additional 137,000 barrels of oil beginning in December. However, it said other adjustments planned in January, February and March of next year would be paused “due to seasonality.”

OPEC+ includes the core members of the cartel, as well as nations outside of the group led by Russia.

Benchmark Brent crude sold Monday around $65 a barrel, down from a post-COVID high of some $115 a barrel after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It had fallen to $60 a barrel in recent days over concerns that the market had too much production.

“Yes, OPEC+ is blinking, but it’s a calculated move,” said Jorge León, the head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy. “Sanctions on Russian producers have injected a new layer of uncertainty into supply forecasts, and the group knows that overproducing now could backfire later. By pausing, OPEC+ is protecting prices, projecting unity and buying time to see how sanctions play out on Russian barrels.”

Suhail al-Mazerouei, the Emirates' energy and infrastructure minister, however, dismissed any idea long-term of too much oil being in the market.

“I’m not going to talk about a an oversupply scenario," he said. "I can’t see that. I can’t justify that. And I think all of what we are seeing is more demand.”

Burgum, a former Republican governor of North Dakota and the chair of U.S. President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, was on hand for the Abu Dhabi oil summit on Monday. He praised the partnership oil-producing Gulf Arab states have with America, saying: "We share a belief about energy policy.”

“People have described the climate as an existential threat. Again, to help people understand U.S. energy policy, we are focused on two substantial threats. One is Iran could not have a nuclear weapon," Burgum said. “But the second thing is that the free world cannot lose the AI arms race. ... You need chips, you need software models and you need more electricity.”

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S., a key economic and political indicator in the country, stood at $3.03 on Monday. Trump also has criticized both OPEC+ and Saudi Arabia at times over the price per barrel, particularly in his first term.

Meanwhile, both the United States and the United Kingdom implemented new oil sanctions targeting Russia over its war on Ukraine. Those sanctions targets included Rosneft and the Russian oil company Lukoil, whose red-and-white logo hung over the annual oil conference. The UAE has maintained close ties to Russia despite the war, but has served as a key interlocutor between Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate prisoner exchanges.

“The Russian and Ukraine war is being funded by energy sales,” Burgum said on a stage that had flashed the Lukoil logo before his remarks.

The oil conference comes after the UAE hosted COP28. Those talks ended with a call by nearly 200 countries to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels — the first time the conference made that crucial pledge. Scientists have called for drastically slashing the world’s emissions by nearly half in the coming years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times.

But the UAE as a whole still plans to increase its production capacity of oil to 5 million barrels a day in the coming years as it pursues more clean energy at home.

Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi repeated a warning to the European Union that his nation could halt their liquefied natural gas shipments — something crucial due to Russian LNG being banned — over its Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. That seeks to have companies pursue net-zero emission goals.

“I think, you know, a small part of this conference, unfortunately, changes with politics depending on when it was President Biden and President Trump and so on," al-Kaabi said. "I think that they're not looking at facts and realities and I think we shouldn't be following politics when we look at the lives of people for the future and how much energy we need in the future.”

UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) Sultan al-Jaber speaks during the inaugural session of annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) Sultan al-Jaber speaks during the inaugural session of annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director of state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) Sultan al-Jaber speaks during the inaugural session of annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Delegates are silhouetted against a screen as they attend the inaugural session of the annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

CORRECTS NAME SPELLING - U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum speaks during the inaugural session of annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

KOLKATA, India (AP) — India's Ravindra Jadeja took 4-29 as South Africa was down to 93-7 (35 overs) at stumps on Day 2 of the first cricket test.

Fifteen wickets fell Saturday, as India took control of proceedings after it was bowled out for 189 runs in its first innings.

The hosts took a slender lead of 30 runs, before knocking over the majority of the Proteas’ batting lineup in the second innings.

South Africa had scored 159 runs in its first innings, with Jasprit Bumrah picking 5-27. Overall, it leads by 63 runs after two days of high attrition on an unpredictable surface.

At stumps, skipper Temba Bavuma was batting on 29 runs off 78 balls with Corbin Bosch (1 not out) for company. Play was called off early once again because of bad light.

Spin was the flavor of the day, and India started off its attack with Axar Patel from one end in the second innings.

Kuldeep Yadav struck right at the stroke of tea — Ryan Rickelton was out lbw for 11 runs, with the score at 18-1.

Another six Proteas wickets fell in the final session. Jadeja struck hard at the South African lineup with his discipline.

Aiden Markram was caught at short leg for four, while Wiaan Mulder was caught behind for 11 runs.

South Africa slumped to 60-5 as Jadeja struck twice in the 17th over — after Mulder, he had Toni de Zorzi caught for 2 runs. Later, Tristan Stubbs failed to read another straight delivery, and was bowled for 5 runs.

Kyle Verreynne (9) played a poor stroke off Axar Patel and was castled, with the score down to 75-6.

Marco Jansen threw his bat around to score 13 runs, before he was caught off Yadav. But it was Bavuma who held one end up for South Africa and pushed the game into Day 3.

Earlier, India was bowled out for a lowly first innings’ score as well with off-spinner Simon Harmer picking 4-30. Jansen also took 3-35, with Keshav Maharaj (1-66) and Bosch (1-32) taking a wicket apiece.

Starting at overnight 37-1, Lokesh Rahul and Washington Sundar had negotiated the first hour of play without loss, adding 38 runs in 14 overs.

In the second hour, South Africa struck back with three wickets even as India scored 63 runs. Sundar was the first to go — out caught at slip off Harmer who found ample help from the pitch. He scored 29 runs off 82 balls, with two fours and a six.

Skipper Gill retired hurt after facing only three deliveries — he felt a jerk in his neck when hitting his first boundary and walked off retired hurt.

Gill did not come out to bat again, and reportedly is suffering from a neck spasm. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant marshaled India in the second innings in Gill’s absence.

Rahul scored 39 and was caught off Maharaj, with Markram taking a low catch at slip.

Pant then scored 27 off 24 balls, including two sixes, to speed the scoring prior to lunch, before he fell to a bouncer from Bosch. The first session resulted in 101 runs overall with India 138-4 at lunch.

Dhruv Jurel was the first to go in the second session — a simple, low return catch to Harmer after India crossed 150.

Jadeja crossed 4,000 runs in his test career, as he scored 27 off 45 balls. He joined a select group of all-rounders to pick 300 wickets and score 4000 runs in tests — India’s Kapil Dev, England’s Ian Botham and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.

Jansen then got into the attack and dismissed the lower-order for cheap. Only Axar Patel resisted with 16 runs, and he was the last man out — caught off Harmer again.

It gave India a slender lead, but the hosts regained control of the match by stumps.

“Playing attacking cricket is the only option as a batter,” Axar Patel said “We can’t have a defensive mindset because you are never in. So we have to convert the loose balls. Patience is key on this surface. If we can keep them below 125, it should be chaseable tomorrow."

South Africa hasn’t won a test in India in 15 years.

The second test will be played from Nov. 22 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which hosted multiple games in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup but will become a men’s test venue for the first time.

Recently, India beat West Indies 2-0, with left-arm wrist spinner Yadav the leading bowler with 12 wickets. South Africa drew a two-test series in Pakistan 1-1.

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India's Ravindra Jadeja, front, celebrates with teammate Mohammed Siraj at the end of play on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's Ravindra Jadeja, right, and teammates celebrate the dismissal of South Africa's Tony de Zorzi, second right, on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Simon Harmer celebrates the dismissal of India's Ravindra Jadeja on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Corbin Bosch, center, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of India's Rishabh Pant on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Simon Harmer, left, listens to captain Temba Bavuma before bowling his next delivery on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

South Africa's Simon Harmer, left, celebrates with teammate Marco Jansen after the dismissal of India's Washington Sundar on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Shubman Gill reacts as he leaves the field after retired hurt on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's KL Rahul walks off the field after losing his wicket on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)