India Energy Week (IEW) 2026 opened on 27 January in Goa, bringing together global policymakers, energy ministers, CEOs, investors and innovators to discuss the big energy issues of the day

With representatives from nearly 125 countries, the opening day included key speeches from leading global figures, highlighting India’s influence at a time when global energy systems are undergoing transformation.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony through a video link, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi highlighted India’s expanding role in energy markets and as a driver for global energy demand.

“India is a land of immense opportunities for the energy sector,” the Prime Minister said. As the world’s fastest-growing major economy, India’s demand for energy is rising continuously - and at the same time, India offers the capacity and capability to help meet global demand.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India is among the top five exporters of petroleum products, supplying more than 150 countries worldwide. He emphasised the opportunities for India’s large refining base - currently the world’s second largest.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the landmark Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union, describing it as a remarkable example of coordination between two of the world’s largest economies.

Outlining India’s ambition, Prime Minister Modi said the country was moving beyond energy security towards the mission of energy independence, supported by wide-ranging reforms, deep-sea exploration initiatives, LNG infrastructure expansion and rapid growth in city gas distribution.

“Our energy sector lies at the heart of India’s aspirations,” he said. “It holds US$500bn in investment opportunities. That is why Make in India. Innovate in India. Scale with India. Invest in India.”

In a keynote address, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and managing director and group CEO of ADNOC, forecast that global oil demand will remain above 100mn bpd through 2040, with demand for both LNG and electricity to grow by 50% or more, encouraging leaders to embrace the “transformative opportunity” of rising global energy demand.

He underlined three powerful megatrends impacting the energy industry: the rise of emerging markets, the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI), and the transformation of energy systems
Electricity demand will be driven not only by AI and data centres but increasingly by cooling, he added. Global air-conditioner numbers are projected to more than triple to 5.6 billion by 2050, equivalent to ten AC units sold every second for the next thirty years.

“Demand at this scale and pace requires investment in all forms of energy,” Dr. Al Jaber said, adding, “The biggest risk is not over supply, it is underinvestment.”

Dr. Al Jaber highlighted the strong partnership between the UAE and India, noting ADNOC’s role as a crude supplier for India’s growing refining demand, as well as supplier of LPG, feedstocks and chemicals. India is ADNOC’s number one LNG market. The UAE is also supporting India’s clean energy ambitions through ALTÉRRA, the world’s largest private climate investment vehicle, he added, with investments totalling 11GW across wind, solar and battery storage.

“Progress and growth at this scale and pace requires a special kind of partnership,” said Dr. Al Jaber said. “Partnership that is strategic, long-term, agile and flexible. Steadfast, dependable, principled and consistent. Partnership that is based on trust and will endure through thick and thin. This is precisely what defines the UAE-India relationship.”

A panel session as th ASDW conference. (Image source: ADSW)

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 concluded its largest edition yet with a renewed commitment to accelerate real-world solutions and drive sustainable progress

Held under the theme ‘The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,’ the world’s largest sustainability gathering brought together leaders across energy, finance, food, water and nature to rethink how these global systems connect, scale and reinforce each other. Fifteen heads of state and government and over 400 ministers and government officials convened with business and civil society leaders in Abu Dhabi from January 11-15 to advance dialogue on sustainability issues. ADSW 2026, hosted by Masdar, attracted over 60,000 attendees, and featured more than 240 dedicated sessions, with over 800 speakers, addressing key trends including global energy systems transformation; food, nature and water security; and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar, said, “Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 marked our biggest and most ambitious gathering yet. Leaders from government, finance, business and civil society came together in Abu Dhabi, united by a shared recognition that the systems shaping our future must evolve faster, work better together, and deliver at scale. At a time of rapid technological change, including the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence, ADSW provided a vital platform to align ambition with action. The conversations started during ADSW will extend far beyond the week itself, prompting year-round collaboration, investment, and delivery, and turning potential into opportunity. I look forward to seeing the outcome from those conversations at ADSW 2027.”

The ADSW Summit, which took place January 13-14, featured over 100 speakers across more than 30 dedicated sessions. In the Leadership Segment, held on both days of the Summit, Heads of State and government addressed the most pressing challenges and opportunities in sustainable development.

The Green Hydrogen Summit addressed issues including securing demand, unlocking investment, global shipping and the state of the green hydrogen landscape.

The World Future Energy Summit, the largest event at ADSW, took place from January 13-15 at the ADNEC Centre, featuring 515 exhibiting brands and 16 country and innovation-led pavilions. Attendees had the opportunity to join conferences led by 300-plus industry experts, explore nine exhibition halls showcasing breakthrough products and solutions and discover cutting-edge technologies through the Greenhouse startup zone, FUSE AI and the Green Hydrogen Innovation Hub.

New platforms

This year, ADSW introduced new platforms including the inaugural Global South Utilities Forum, which convened policymakers, developers, financiers, and off-takers from the Global South and the UAE to discuss advancing investment, innovation, and the delivery of sustainable power and water infrastructure across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A ministerial dialogue focused on how governments are translating policy vision into bankable infrastructure, while later sessions addressed deploying technology at speed and scale, renewables, energy storage and off-grid systems, and the growing role of industrial off-takers beyond traditional utilities.

ADSW also featured the Blue Forum, which focused on transformative opportunities for a water-secure future, driving technology, resilience, and sustainable growth.

Masdar, host of ADSW, celebrated 20 years of clean energy leadership by announcing its total renewable energy portfolio has reached 65 gigawatts (GW), up from 51GW at the start of 2025, two thirds of the way to its 2030 target of 100GW. Of the 65GW portfolio, 45GW is operational, under construction, or committed, with a further advanced pipeline of 20GW.

Masdar also made a series of announcements, strengthening its presence in key markets including Uzbekistan, Oman and Sharjah, and expanding its footprint in Africa, with the signing of its first power purchase agreement in Angola.

ADSW also featured the Youth 4 Sustainability Forum and Youth Hub, which brought together more than 3,500 young people from around the world, connecting them with 95 speakers from government, industry, and academia with initiatives such as Youth Connect and Talent Connect. While the annual WiSER Forum brought together over 120 influential figures to advance dialogue on women’s leadership in sustainability and inclusive development. The forum focused on inclusive finance, policy and governance reform, scaling innovation, advancing skills for the future of work, redefining leadership norms, and strengthening inclusive foresight to build long-term resilience.

HE Dr. Al Jaber giving the opening address at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW). (Image source: MASDAR)

At the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026, HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar chairman, hailed a new era of human progress powered by computational power and digital capability, all underpinned by energy

“Artificial intelligence is rewiring every industry, reshaping every sector and resetting expectations for global growth,” HE Dr Al Jaber said. “While the world is changing around us, one constant remains. And that is energy. Every algorithm, every data centre, every breakthrough in advanced technology needs power to drive it. Simply put, there is no artificial intelligence without actual energy.”

“Meeting all this demand responsibly, reliably and affordably means coming to terms with reality,” HE Dr Al Jaber said. “Over 70% of this energy will still come from hydrocarbons.” This should be seen not as a constraint, he told the assembled audience, but rather as a catalyst. “Sustainable progress is not about slowing down growth, it is about designing a better engine.”

The UAE has structured its economy to meet this new reality, HE Dr Al Jaber said, stressing “the world still needs molecules to make electrons. That is why we have always invested in both and fused them into a single integrated system: from the carbon-efficient molecules of ADNOC to the clean gigawatts of Masdar; from the largest solar projects ever built, to the first solar plants that work around the clock; from nuclear energy to custom-tailored wind turbines that work at low speed.”

The UAE also applies technology “system-wide,” HE Dr Al Jaber said. “AI is no longer a tool we add at the margins; it has become the operating system of our industrial strategy. We are embedding AI across our energy and industrial base to optimise every barrel, every megawatt, every production line.”

HE Dr. Al Jaber highlighted the key role played by Masdar in developing renewable energy projects globally and driving renewable energy costs down, revealing that it is now more than two thirds of the way to its target of 100 gigawatts (GW) portfolio capacity. Through long-term partnerships, innovation, and US$45bn in investment, Masdar has contributed to reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and overcoming structural challenges such as intermittency, helping make renewables the cheapest and fastest way to deploy new electricity capacity globally.

HE Dr Al Jaber ended by highlighting the attractions of the UAE as a business destination.

“Bring your ambition, your ideas, your capital and your technology, and put them to work where progress is powered, opportunity is operationalised and partnerships are permanent. The future of sustainable human progress is waiting, and its address is Abu Dhabi.”

ADSW 2026 opened on 13 January under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,” convening global leaders to accelerate collaboration across interconnected systems including energy, finance, food, water, and nature. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, ADSW 2026 is hosted by Masdar.

The opening ceremony gathered Heads of State, Ministers, senior government officials, business leaders, investors, and innovators, celebrating landmark achievements to date while mobilising momentum and investment for the critical decade ahead.

The event will examine how AI is reshaping upstream operations and the broader energy value chain. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Energy and technology leaders will convene at the IPTC Summit on AI for the Energy Industry to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping upstream operations and the broader energy value chain

Taking place at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai from 13-14 January 2026 with the theme Transforming Energy Through AI: Innovation, Intelligence, Impact, the event will bring together decision-makers, technologists and domain experts.

Pinar O. Yilmaz, IPTC Summit chair, said, “IPTC is uniquely organised by four professional societies: AAPG, EAGE, SEG & SPE, serving as the only fully integrated major joint event in the Middle East and Asia. We are a vital hub for geoscientists and engineers, fostering collaboration on integrated technical solutions to address the evolving needs of the energy sector while promoting impactful decarbonisation solutions.”

Summit co-chair Abdulkarim AlMaazmi, managing director E&P and CEO of Dragon Oil, said, “The theme reflects our industry’s shift toward smarter, more efficient upstream operations. AI, automation, and digital technologies are transforming subsurface imaging, drilling performance, production optimisation, and safety – IPTC will showcase this impact.”

The two-day programme features two keynote sessions, two executive plenary sessions, four executive panel sessions, 15 technical sessions, dedicated ePoster sessions, and a technology showcase. Senior executives and industry leaders confirmed to participate include Waleed A. Al-Mulhim, senior vice president, Petroleum Engineering and Development, Aramco; Amir Gerges, group chief HSE officer, ADNOC; Steven Deng, president of Oil & Gas Industry, Huawei Technologies; Jose Bayardo, chairman, president and chief executive officer, NOV; Mohd Nazlee Rasol, vice president of Development, Upstream Business, PETRONAS; Thanasit Vichaipairojwong, senior vice president, Digital Technology Center of Excellence Division, PTTEP; Jesus Lamas, president, Middle East and North Africa, SLB; Niall O’Doherty, vice president, Global Industry Strategy, Teradata; and Sophie Zurquiyah, CEO, Viridien, among others.

Umar A. Al Nahdi, IPTC Summit co-chair and director, PE Application Services at Aramco, said, “Attendees will benefit from access to high-level technical content, exposure to emerging technologies, and opportunities to connect with global experts shaping the future of energy. The summit will provide valuable insights, collaboration opportunities, and practical knowledge that participants can apply within their organisations. Ultimately, the Summit aspires to inspire new thinking, strengthen partnerships, and support the development of a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable energy sector.”

The summit will also host the IPTC Excellence Awards, recognising standout technological, sustainability, safety, and leadership achievements across the global energy industry.

The IPTC Summit, the flagship multidisciplinary technical event in the Eastern Hemisphere, is supported by a broad cross-section of the industry. Principal sponsors include Aramco, Dragon Oil, and SLB, with NOV and Saudi Arabian Chevron serving as Diamond Sponsors. Baker Hughes is the Titanium Sponsor, while AMD, ARO, and Viridien are Gold Sponsors. Lane-Link and Quorum Software participate as Associate Sponsors.

For more information, go to www.iptcnet.org.