ADIPEC 2026 Highlights Shift from AI Ambition to Industrial-Scale Integration in Energy Sector

A central theme emerging from ADIPEC 2026 is the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) from conceptual ambition to practical, industrial-scale deployment within the energy sector. Industry leaders concurred that AI’s true value lies not in isolated pilot programs but in its capacity to transform operations comprehensively across the entire energy value chain.

Helmut von Struve, CEO of Siemens UAE & Middle East, articulated this perspective during the conference session titled ‘Beyond digital: how AI is reshaping industries, economies and society.’ He stated, "The greatest value from an AI perspective is where industries, and also the essential services we depend on, can be improved. It is really about how we can make essential operations more productive and reliable, and how we can make them more resource-efficient."

The conference underscored the importance of collaboration between the energy and technology sectors. Transparency, digital technologies, and data-sharing were identified as key enablers for deeper industrial partnerships. John Gilley, CEO of Kent, highlighted the growing convergence of digital infrastructure and energy systems, noting, "We are seeing that it is not just about energy; it is about connecting the world's appetite for data with the world's appetite for energy. Each country wants to have control of its own data and energy."

In the session “Digital transformation: building an AI-ready energy system,” Rakesh Jaggi, president Digital at SLB; Som Dutta, Group VP – AI and Data Science at DP World; and Ashish Koshy, CEO of Inception42, discussed foundational requirements for embedding AI at scale. They emphasized the necessity of robust data foundations, digital infrastructure, and operating models. The consensus was clear: AI must be treated as a core capability rather than a series of disconnected pilots.

Addressing concerns about AI potentially replacing human workers, Ashish Koshy argued for a synergistic approach, stating, "It has to be not AI versus humans, but humans augmented by AI."

As AI adoption accelerates, confidence in the technology hinges not only on capability but also on governance, cybersecurity, and trust. Dennis Jol, CEO of AIQ, stressed the fundamental role of trust in wider AI adoption, explaining, "Collaboration moves at the speed of trust. If we look at the UAE ecosystem, it is a five-layer cake: energy, data, infrastructure, sovereign cloud and the models we have access to, which maintain security. We sit on top of that. Ultimately, data has to belong to the customer, and customers have to trust us. Cybersecurity rules need to be enhanced. Sovereignty does not need to be national; it just needs to exist within your own framework."

Community engagement was also highlighted as critical, especially in light of growing skepticism toward AI. Joseph McMonigle, president of the Global Center for Energy Analysis, remarked, "I do not think it is going to be possible to avoid moving forward with AI and digital computing, but the industry needs to be much more effective and change its strategy. It needs to pay more attention to the local level. There needs to be some kind of inclusion."

The financial challenges of large-scale AI and digital technology deployment were addressed by Tarek El Molla, founder and principal consultant of Luminant Energy Consultancy and former Egyptian Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources. He cautioned, "Unless governments are more tolerant and open, and offer more incentives for the use of infrastructure, helping secure buy-in from the private sector and multinationals, these projects will not succeed in attracting investment. This is not investment that is easily raised. Therefore, I think that in the coming years, policies will become more relaxed, inviting more private-sector capital."

From an investor and project delivery standpoint, Ambassador Martina Strong, region president for Central Europe and the Middle East at Bechtel, observed, "Markets are already looking at the proposition of investing in large, complex infrastructure very differently from how they did, certainly in this part of the world."

The expanded AI Zone, co-hosted by AIQ, showcased practical AI applications transitioning from experimentation to operational deployment across the energy sector. Exhibitors presented technologies spanning reservoir modelling, autonomous operations, grid management, and robotics, demonstrating how intelligent systems are embedded to enhance productivity, reliability, and decision-making.

• Stone Ridge Technology’s AI-native pre- and post-processing and workflow orchestration layer integrated with its GPU-based ECHELON reservoir simulation software, designed to accelerate subsurface analysis and reservoir management.

• Honeywell’s AI-driven autonomous upstream operations via its Honeywell Forge Upstream platform, enabling operators to optimize asset performance and operational efficiency through advanced analytics and automation.

• EY, in partnership with Gecko Robotics, demonstrated robots capable of inspecting critical infrastructure such as pipelines and power plants. By combining high-fidelity asset data with AI-powered analytics, this technology aids in predicting equipment failures, extending asset life, and supporting investment planning.

• Sinaha’s Autonomous Mobile Robots deployed in intelligent warehouses, coordinated through its proprietary Robotics Management System, with manufacturing set to commence at the company’s UAE facility next year.

Additionally, the Digitalisation Zone featured digital twins, edge computing platforms, industrial software, and cybersecurity solutions designed to support increasingly connected and autonomous energy systems.

In summary, ADIPEC 2026 reinforced that AI’s transformative impact on the energy sector depends on comprehensive integration supported by data governance, infrastructure investment, workforce collaboration, and community inclusion. The event highlighted both the opportunities and challenges inherent in scaling AI from pilot projects to industrial operations across the global energy landscape.