UAE makes sustainable aviation fuel use mandatory for airlines

The United Arab Emirates has introduced a landmark requirement for airlines to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), marking one of the region’s strongest policy steps toward reducing aviation emissions. The mandate underscores national efforts to transition air travel toward cleaner energy sources and reinforces long-term climate goals.

To support the rollout, the UAE is expanding fuel-production capacity, including new facilities that will convert waste oils and other inputs into SAF. These initiatives are intended to ensure that sufficient supply is available as demand increases under the new policy.

Authorities acknowledge that SAF remains more expensive than conventional jet fuel, which could influence operational costs for airlines. However, the government views the mandate as necessary to accelerate decarbonization, drive technological progress and position the UAE at the forefront of global aviation sustainability.

The new requirement is expected to encourage neighbouring countries and international aviation regulators to adopt similar measures, potentially speeding up global efforts to cut emissions across the aviation value chain.

Mandatory SAF use represents one of the strongest available policy levers to accelerate aviation decarbonisation. Voluntary adoption has been limited by SAF's cost premium versus conventional jet fuel and by supply availability constraints. Mandating use - combined with parallel investment in SAF production capacity - addresses both demand and supply constraints simultaneously.

The UAE's move signals to other Gulf and international aviation jurisdictions that mandatory SAF policies are viable and can potentially trigger broader adoption.

Given the international nature of aviation, coordinated mandates across major aviation hubs would accelerate the market development that unlocks the scale-driven cost reductions needed for SAF to become mainstream. The UAE's SAF production capacity build-out - including waste-oil conversion facilities - complements the demand-side mandate.

For airlines, aviation fuel suppliers, corporate travel buyers and their financial and legal advisors, Cognitud's climate action, energy transition and supply chain and operations teams help clients evaluate exposure to expanding SAF mandates, structure fuel-procurement strategies that reflect both compliance requirements and voluntary decarbonisation commitments, and prepare disclosures aligned with IATA, CORSIA, CDP Transport and jurisdictional aviation-sustainability frameworks that increasingly influence airline and travel-industry positioning globally.