ADNOC targets AI scaling as ADIPEC 2026 expands technical agenda

Abu Dhabi’s energy sector is shifting its technical focus from the necessity of digitisation to the practical scaling of artificial intelligence across global operations, officials confirmed on Thursday, 15 October. The transition comes as the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2026 prepares to host a record-breaking technical programme starting on 2 November. ADIPEC moves opening ceremony to Abu Dhabi Energy Centre Organisers announced that the ADIPEC 2026 opening ceremony will relocate from the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) to the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre. The move is designed to free up exhibition space at ADNEC following unprecedented demand from international firms. The event, held under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and hosted by ADNOC, will now occupy 16 halls and four specialised industry zones. Haitham Al Jenaibi, EVP of Development and Production (Gas) at ADNOC Upstream and ADIPEC 2026 Technical Conference Chair, stated that the industry has moved past debating "why" digitisation is necessary. The current priority is identifying specific deployment points for AI and ensuring these technologies can scale to meet global energy demands. The technical conference received 7,200 submissions this year, up from 7,000 in the previous edition, representing 27 countries. Scaling AI for global energy security The 2026 programme features more than 380 sessions across 13 distinct…