Adnoc Distribution, the UAE’s largest fuel and convenience retailer, will open reformatted petrol stations in November that will also be family-friendly destinations, a senior executive has told The National.
The concept, called The Hub, will feature a mix of fuel, fast-charging, car, food, family and “fun” services, and 30 of them are planned to open within three years, chief strategy, technology and sustainability officer Athmane Benzerroug told The National on Friday.
The first of The Hubs will be inaugurated in Abu Dhabi “in about three weeks”, he said. They will eventually be expanded throughout the UAE, and each will be “tailored to reflect and serve the unique character of its local community”.
“We are seeing a market trend where customers are not only going to fuel up or charge [their vehicles] at the stations,” Mr Benzerroug said.
“It's a bold new concept,” he added. Adnoc Distribution is optimising its land and adding more for the community, he said. Feedback indicated that “customers want an integrated experience”.
“You're going to have fun and family playgrounds,” he added.
The move, Mr Benzerroug said, is part of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company unit's expanding strategy of offering experiences beyond its core fuel business, as customers tend to visit petrol stations that offer more than traditional car services.
Aside from its Oasis convenience stores and restaurant options, Adnoc Distribution has integrated other consumer services into its stations, including pharmacies and laundries. A number of its locations in Abu Dhabi host food lorries.
Adnoc Distribution has 977 service stations – 562 in the UAE, 172 in Saudi Arabia and 243 in Egypt. The company recently said it aims to increase those to 1,150 by 2028, 15 per cent more than the previous figure of 1,000.
Non-fuel retail continued to deliver strong momentum for the company in the third quarter of 2025, with gross profit growing annually by 14.7 per cent.
“The competition, in general, is not about the price of fuel because it is the same [all over the UAE],” Mr Benzerroug said.
“We're now making sure that the conveniences we offer … increase customer visits and help us to retain them.”
Third-quarter profit up
Adnoc Distribution has continued to lean heavily on implementing advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, to streamline operations and increase its appeal to customers, including via the products on offer and the perks available on its rewards app.
In the first nine months of 2025, the company's capital expenditure was about $210 million, of which $22 million, or more than 10 per cent, was dedicated to technology, Mr Benzerroug said.
He said the company has a “fully-dedicated AI and technology team”, including data scientists who analyse their operational figures.
“Our key goal is to be simple: how investments in AI will make the customer experience even better,” he said.
Adnoc Distribution will continue to look into potential mergers and acquisitions, but will be “disciplined” in capital allocation, Mr Benzerroug said.
“What matters is that any acquisition will create value for our shareholders … to achieve higher growth and higher dividends,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Adnoc Distribution reported that its third-quarter net profit jumped 21.5 per cent annually to $221 million, with revenue up 2.7 per cent, reaching $2.54 billion. This was driven by a surge in retail fuel volumes.
Net profit for the first nine months of 2025 grew 15.6 per cent year-on-year to $579 million, and the company posted its highest nine-month fuel volume of 11.7 billion litres.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
Company%20profile
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ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
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ROUTE%20TO%20TITLE
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If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
