Abu Dhabi Investment Office partners with Partanna to decarbonise concrete industry

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has partnered with Partanna, a Bahamian climate tech company, to establish its regional headquarters and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi.

This collaboration, announced during the inaugural Abu Dhabi Business Week (ADBW), will establish Abu Dhabi as the regional epicentre for carbon-negative building materials, creating new possibilities for global sustainability.

The agreement will support Partanna’s ambitions to decarbonise the US$ 400 billion global cement industry by facilitating the company’s establishment of large-scale manufacturing operations in Abu Dhabi to service the regional market. As part of the collaboration, Partanna will produce Verra-certified carbon credits, supporting the reduction of carbon emissions in alignment with Abu Dhabi’s climate goals.

Cement production accounts for nearly 9% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and traditional manufacturing methods remain among the most significant contributors to climate change. Partanna’s modern reinterpretation of cement offers an innovative, scalable solution. By replacing carbon-intensive clinkering with magnesium compounds derived from brine —a by-product of desalination— Partanna turns a waste stream into a valuable resource while producing a cost competitive product.

Under the agreement, Partanna’s new facility in Abu Dhabi will convert waste brine into carbon-negative cement, not only neutralising emissions but also actively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, transforming concrete into a carbon sink.

Complying with international building standards, Partanna cement is compatible with reinforced steel and shows improved strength in saltwater conditions. The new Abu Dhabi facility will produce up to 3 million tonnes of Partanna binder annually—equivalent to 10% of the UAE’s cement market—while setting the stage for expansion across the region and beyond. By achieving this output, Partanna would achieve the same positive carbon impact as the Borneo Rainforest, offsetting approximately 7.98 million metric tonnes of CO₂ annually.

The Abu Dhabi facility will act as Partanna’s flagship operation and regional headquarters, designed as a franchisable model to replicate worldwide, enabling rapid adoption in other high-growth regions. By leveraging Abu Dhabi’s advanced infrastructure, the country’s vast brine resources, and ADIO’s network of industry stakeholders and proximity to regional markets, the collaboration is poised to set a new standard for industrial sustainability.

Badr Al-Olama, Director General at ADIO, commented: “At the core of Abu Dhabi’s economic transformation lies innovation. Through strategic partnerships with pioneering companies like Partanna, we are demonstrating that economic growth and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive. This collaboration is a testament to our unwavering commitment to shaping the industries of future, and to accelerating industrial innovation.”

Partanna, led by three-time NBA Champion Rick Fox and born on the frontline of climate change, has been supported by Abu Dhabi through the company’s participation in the specialist ClimateTech ecosystem at Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem.

Rick Fox, Co-Founder and CEO of Partanna, said: “From the Roman Empire to the modern era, great civilisations are built on great materials. Partanna is bringing a new era of cement to the world and there’s no better place to scale our business globally than Abu Dhabi.

“This isn’t just about building a factory; it’s about building a future. With ADIO’s support, we’re creating a roadmap to scale this globally and show that sustainable construction is not only possible, but profitable,” Fox added.

Since its launch two years ago, the company has attracted a customer base in the UAE, the Bahamas, the United States and Europe. Earlier this year, TopWerk, a leading European manufacturer of concrete production machinery, recognised Partanna’s solution as the most exciting innovation in construction over the past 30 years. This month, Partanna became only the second concrete company in the world to have a project registered by Verra, a world-leader in voluntary carbon standards.

As the global supply of brine is set to increase, with 20,000 new desalination plants currently operational worldwide and an estimated 50% increase by 2035, Partanna has a globally scalable solution poised to disrupt the global cement market.

As Partanna’s technology redefines the building industry, Abu Dhabi reinforces its role as a leader in driving global change, helping the world tackle one of its most pressing challenges while creating a resilient, prosperous economy for future generations. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2025 and will leverage the emirate’s infrastructure and sustainable energy initiatives, ensuring the facility aligns with the Abu Dhabi’s ambitious sustainability commitments.