During his opening address at the Adipec 2025 conference, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Adnoc's managing director and group chief executive, summed up the new reality facing the global energy system: “The true cost of AI is not just in code, it’s in kilowatts.”
Much of his speech this year focused on growth. Dr Al Jaber told officials and delegates that “the long-term outlook shows demand growth for every form of energy across every market. Our response to meet that demand should focus on the data, not the drama".
Dr Al Jaber said the world’s legacy grids and transmission systems are no longer fit for purpose. AI-driven workloads are placing stress not only on computing hardware, but across the entire energy chain, from generation and transmission to cooling and computation.
That shift underpins a profound transformation in how societies think about energy and, equally, knowledge or access to knowledge. The adage that “knowledge is power” has been turned on its head. In the age of AI, power is knowledge. Without the electricity to fuel high-performance computing, there can be no machine learning, no automation and no digital innovation.
From Moore's Law to megawatts
In 1965, Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, made the famous observation that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit will double every two years. At the time, few imagined it would define the trajectory of computing for the next half-century. Moore’s Law, as it became known, identified a steady rhythm that symbolised progress – faster, smaller and cheaper devices driving exponential gains in efficiency.
But as Dr Al Jaber's opening speech at Adipec 2025 made clear, that era is over. AI has shredded Moore’s Law. Computing progress is no longer measured by how many transistors can fit on a chip but by how much power can be generated to run ever-growing AI models. The relationship between computing and energy has been redrawn and Moore’s Law is no longer the benchmark for progress, power is.
Data economy’s appetite for energy
Data centres already consume more power than some countries. Most of that energy is needed to run and cool servers, preventing the heat generated by complex calculations from shutting them down. Global data centre electricity demand could reach 945 terawatt-hours by 2030, the International Energy Agency said. That is about the same as Japan's annual consumption.
The curve is becoming steeper. Compute power for training AI systems has almost doubled every six months since 2010, a pace that far outstrips Moore’s original two-year cycle. Each leap in AI capability now requires an equally significant increase in electricity.
AI leadership in the Gulf
As AI becomes integral to sectors from health care and logistics to manufacturing and media, the UAE’s energy strategy is evolving from a focus on supply and demand to a plan that enables data-driven growth. Powering intelligence is now part of the national mission.
At Adipec 2025, Dr Al Jaber’s message captured this moment of transformation. The technology driving the next industrial revolution will depend not only on code and connectivity, but on the energy that makes intelligence possible.
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
Living in...
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wayne Rooney's career
Everton (2002-2004)
- Appearances: 48
- Goals: 17
Manchester United (2004-2017)
- Appearances: 496
- Goals: 253
England (2003-)
- Appearances: 119
- Goals: 53
Results:
5pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600 metres
Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Saabah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Mukaram, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: MH Tawag, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) | Dh70,000 | 1,400m
Winner: RB Inferno, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Juthoor, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
