State-owned United Arab Emirates energy giant ADNOC has awarded ADNOC Drilling Company a 6.24 billion dirham ($1.7 billion) contract to unlock the Gulf country's unconventional energy resources, the Abu Dhabi media office said on Sunday.

($1 = 3.6728 UAE dirham)

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Jaidaa Taha Editing by David Goodman )