As the world confronts escalating energy demands and climate imperatives, the energy sector is looking to the convergence of human expertise, artificial intelligence and advanced systems to scale the transformative solutions needed to accelerate inclusive global progress, delegates at Adipec will see next week.
Under the theme "Energy. Intelligence. Impact", the world’s largest energy conference aims to unite more than 1,800 speakers and 2,250 exhibitors from 172 countries across 12 conference programmes at what is a critical juncture in our history. Adipec runs from November 3 to 6 at the Adnec in Abu Dhabi and takes place under the patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed.
“The theme reflects the UAE’s integrated approach to energy, where every decision must deliver measurable impact,” Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said in an interview ahead of the event. The three keywords reflect, respectively, the UAE’s continued investment in secure, diverse and affordable supply; the nation’s use of technology, data and human capital; and target outcomes around lower emissions, greater resilience and inclusive prosperity.
Over four days, the event will explore four key themes, from new energy technologies and geopolitics to digital transformation and building a resilient, future-ready system. Adipec’s 12 conferences will focus on these and other industry challenges and opportunities in exhaustive detail, with deep conversations on topics such as decarbonisation, digitalisation, technical and operational advancements, and finance for energy projects.
Role of intelligence in responding to global energy sector challenges
Global energy consumption is rising, with projections estimating a 50 per cent increase by 2050 as compared to 2020 levels, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Factors such as economic and population growth are transforming demand, even as technologies such as solar and wind energy comprise an ever-larger share of the energy mix. The sector has recognised its role in reducing carbon emissions to meet climate targets as laid out under the Paris Agreement.
In parallel, the evolution of AI systems offers an opportunity to drive systemic resilience while capitalising on new opportunities, said Abdulmunim Al Kindy, chairman of Adipec 2025.
“As populations grow, new economies emerge, and AI advances at an extraordinary pace, the world faces both profound opportunities and pressing challenges. Energy and intelligence are the twin engines that are setting the pace of global progress,” Mr Al Kindy said.
“Meeting the world’s growing demand for energy requires an intelligent and pragmatic approach that embraces all viable sources and technologies,” he added.
Key role of human intelligence in driving the future of energy
Human intelligence will necessarily lead future energy sector developments, not least by driving the adoption of new systems. As energy systems become smarter and more digital, human oversight remains vital to ensuring that automated systems are aligned with broader goals, ethical considerations and unexpected real-world events. Panels across the conference cover workforce readiness and adaptability as humans begin to work ever more closely alongside intelligent machines, a trend widely referred to as Industry 5.0.
Shortages of skilled labour are a key barrier to ramping up activity in the energy sector, according to an International Energy Agency survey, with supply failing to keep pace with demand.
For more than a decade, the Young Adipec initiative has bridged that gap by inspiring future talent, empowering them to work together, unify around a common cause and play a central role in advancing a resilient, low-carbon, high-growth future. This year too, the platform will actively engage high school and university students within the framework of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to pursue careers in energy.
“Through Young Adipec, we are preparing the next generation of energy leaders,” Mr Al Mazrouei said.
AI’s transformative role across Adipec show floor
Perhaps the most visible impact on the energy sector will come from AI. By 2030, AI-powered energy systems and smart grids could unlock up to $1.3 trillion in economic value, Adipec data shows. Over the same period, the technology could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 5-10 per cent, an amount equivalent to the annual emissions of the entire European Union, according to research by Google and the Boston Consulting Group.
In the UAE, the technology has moved from laboratory proofs to operational pilots. A case in point is Abu Dhabi’s demonstration of ENERGYai. The world’s first-of-its-kind agentic AI solution tailored for the energy sector was launched at Adipec last year by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and AIQ, a joint venture between Adnoc and national AI company Group 42. The tool has proved how seismic data can be analysed up to ten times faster and accuracy improved by 70% in key areas, to help geoscientists make faster, more confident decisions in exploration and development. ENERGYai is now being scaled across Adnoc’s upstream operations. Following a recent partnership with global technology company SLB, the tool aims to automate complex subsurface workflows at scale by the end of this year. Alongside, AIQ’s Robust platform is also reducing drilling time by up to 30 per cent and cutting downtime through predictive maintenance, Mr Al Mazrouei said.
These are just some examples of how AI is helping the energy sector work smarter and cleaner. Exhibitors at Adipec’s AI Zone will show how the technology is driving breakthrough innovation, predicting energy demand, optimising power grids and helping reduce emissions.
“These innovations mean our sector can anticipate change, act faster, and operate more sustainably. At Adipec 2025, we will showcase how AI is not only shaping the future of energy but accelerating it,” Mr Al Mazrouei said.
As it expands its AI footprint, Adipec is also hosting an enlarged AI conference and AI Leadership Roundtables for invited policymakers and chief executives. The conferences span more than 380 sessions across programme streams, with more than 85 technology-focused sessions, including AI and digitalisation tracks, as well as conversations around how technology’s own surging energy demands. Global electricity use from data centres alone is set to more than double to 945 TWh by 2030, overtaking Japan’s total consumption today.
Industry interest in AI is visible in the record number of paper submissions across Adipec’s Technical Conferences. Of the total 7,086 papers sent in, one in five was on AI and digital technology in energy.
Transforming energy systems for long-term resilience
While human and artificial intelligence each have their role in securing sustainable future energy needs, sectoral systems must evolve alongside. A vital part of the conversation at Adipec 2025 will confront larger economic issues, such as the need for large-scale infrastructure investments and policy initiatives to accelerate transformation and strengthen energy resilience.
The Global Strategy programme, for example, explores how to navigate disruption through bold, system-wide investments, from lower-carbon oil and gas to nuclear, hydrogen, renewables and advanced clean technologies. Sessions will examine energy diversity, financing, security, grid resilience, and the growing role of gas and LNG, particularly in emerging markets where digitalisation and AI adoption are transforming production, distribution and demand. Likewise, the Digitalisation Zone explores how data, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies are accelerating the transformation of global energy systems through optimised grids, storage and interoperable networks that drive efficiency gains across the board.
Groundbreaking achievements are already visible across the UAE’s energy sector. Mr Al Mazrouei pointed out how the country is “turning vision into infrastructure” by combining investment, AI and resilient grids. He said the UAE’s Energy Strategy 2050 already directs more than Dh200 billion to clean energy projects through 2030. By that year, the nation expects clean energy to account for 32 per cent of its total energy mix, he said. The UAE clean energy company Masdar now operates in more than 40 countries, while Adnoc produces some of the world’s lowest carbon-intensity oil at 7kg CO2 e/boe – less than half the industry average.
“The UAE is turning vision into infrastructure, partnerships into projects, and ambition into action,” Mr Al Mazrouei said.
“Resilience means building energy systems that can absorb economic, geopolitical, and environmental shocks while remaining reliable, affordable, and sustainable,” he added.
The strategy illustrates the broader pivot underway across the global energy sector as governments and operators worldwide recognise that human, machine and systems intelligence will be as important as oil in powering progress.
This page was produced by The National in partnership with Adipec.
