How cultural transformation drives business success: ADNOC

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is one of the world's leading energy producers and a strategic force in shaping the UAE’s socio-economic future. 

Founded in 1971, it has a network of fully integrated businesses for exploration, production, storage, refining, and trading, as well as the development of a wide range of petrochemical products.

What is the challenge?

ADNOC is committed to tackling the issues facing the people profession worldwide, including hierarchical bottlenecks, fragmented communication, and disengagement. Recognising the impactful role that culture can play in addressing such challenges, the company devised and implemented a Culture Renovation Programme.

What were the objectives?

To meet this challenge, ADNOC set out the following strategic objectives:

1. Create a safe and empowering workplace 
2. Equip leaders to drive cultural change 
3. Connect people outcomes directly to business performance  

What did it do?

Engaging more than 45,000 employees across the organisation, the Culture Renovation Programme made culture practical, measurable, scalable, and customised to each of ADNOC’s 14 Group Companies. The initiative was anchored in the 'Change Framework', a people-centric model built on a series of components that ensured employees were willing, ready, and able to change.  

Employee co-creation

The programme began with the 'Organisational Culture Inventory' and in-depth employee and leader conversations, highlighting key areas to address. Employees were placed at the centre of change. Over 60 town-hall meetings and 150 workshops enabled employees to co-create solutions, generating 300 business challenges.

Culture toolkits 

Insights were turned into 19 culture toolkits outlining practical steps to improve collaboration and productivity. They covered four key focus areas: 

1. Apply growth mindset  
2. Build effective teams
3. Empower people at every level
4. Lead a safe and caring environment  

Digital dashboard 

A 'Culture Dashboard' enabled leaders to track adoption, participation, and behaviours in real time. It connected people outcomes directly to the 'Corporate Scorecard', demonstrating a clear link between culture, business performance, and the bottom line. 

Culture masterclasses 

Thousands of ADNOC’s line managers completed a 'Culture Masterclass', focusing on six core principles:  

1. Communicate clearly  
2. Foster integration 
3. Eliminate bureaucracy 
4. Seek support  
5. Combat complacency 
6. Measure net impact 

At the same time, Youth Masterclasses built sustainability and innovation mindsets into the next generation of leaders. 

Culture network 

ADNOC appointed more than 150 culture influencers at a 1:200 ratio, acting as ambassadors to embed cultural principles across all levels of the organisation. More than role models, they were empowered to live and lead relevant initiatives and drive their own culture agendas.

What outcomes have been achieved so far?

The Culture Renovation Programme has demonstrated that culture change delivers real business value.  

Quantitative results 

• Employee engagement rose from 67% in 2022 to 74% in 2024, the highest ever score in ADNOC’s history and surpassing the global energy benchmark of 70%
• Leadership effectiveness improved from 60% to 74% 
• Recognition scores increased from 56% to 83% 
• Innovation submissions grew by 28% 
• HSE incidents fell by 27%, delivering a safer workplace and significant cost savings
• Internal mobility nearly tripled, reducing reliance on external hiring 
• Staff turnover fell from 5% to 3%, equating to multi-million AED annual savings in hiring and onboarding 
• Absenteeism decreased from 2.96% to 2.48% 
• Corporate Scorecard Index improved by 11.8% 

Employee engagement and feedback 

Employees confirmed the programme’s impact through surveys and testimonials. In the 2024 Engagement Survey, 93% of staff acknowledged ADNOC’s progress in building a positive culture. Teams led by recognised culture influencers scored 8% higher than the organisational average, showing the effect of visible role-modelling. Employee comments highlighted improved collaboration, empowerment, and psychological safety at work. 

Leadership and L&D  

The programme had a positive impact in terms of leadership and learning and development. More than 4,300 line managers completed the Culture Masterclass, with a satisfaction rate of 94% confirming its effectiveness. Beyond this, ADNOC built a scalable capability model by training over 100 facilitators and more than 130 internal trainers who over time became trusted cultural advisors. 

Cost and ROI 

The programme delivered a strong return on investment, saving over AED50 million by building internal training capability. Reduced turnover, lower external recruitment and fewer safety incidents cut financial and operational risks, while stronger leadership and higher mobility boosted productivity. 

Behavioural shifts 

Cultural impact was visible in daily behaviours:  

• Managers began integrating cultural discussions into team routines, ensuring culture is embedded in how the company operates.  
• Pulse surveys in several directorates showed collaboration scores rising by up to 15% following toolkit adoption.
• Employees reported greater empowerment and trust. 

Highlighting the programme’s success, in 2023 ADNOC earned the Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for Best Corporate Culture Transformation.

Key learnings

1. Align cultural-change initiatives with corporate strategy and national priorities. 
2. Leadership commitment and buy-in is key, ensuring that cultural accountability carries the same importance as financial delivery.
3. Cross-company collaboration strengthens operational efficiency and responsiveness.
4. Reposition HR from a support service to a strategic partner.
5. Feedback loops and continuous-improvement cycles are fundamental to ongoing success.