Autonomous operations are increasingly seen as a strategic enabler across industries.

Middle East energy leaders are reflecting strong ambitions toward autonomous operations if energy tech company, Schneider Electric's new report is to be believed

The company's survey has found that nearly 80% of energy executives from the region display advanced operational readiness. According to Schneider Electric’s Autonomous Maturity research many organisations are claiming to operate at Level 4 of the ARC Autonomous Operations Maturity Model. This implies selective autonomy, systems functioning independently in specific scenarios with limited human intervention -- a sharp contrast when compared to the global energy sector.

This major shift towards autonomy adoption is largely being driven by cost efficiency. Safety and leadership prioritisation ranked lowest, indicating a shift toward business-led innovation rather than compliance-driven transformation.

“Autonomous operations are increasingly seen as a strategic enabler across industries, driving gains in efficiency, scalability, and resilience,” said Devan Pillay, President Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric. “In the energy sector, where safety, reliability, and sustainability are critical, autonomous systems can monitor and respond in real time, reduce manual intervention in hazardous environments, and support smarter, data-driven decision-making. Crucially, they also support both onshore and remote operations, reducing offsite travel and improving work-life balance.”

Independent Energy Market Analyst, Gaurav Sharma, who provided insights to the research, said, “As global energy systems evolve, autonomy is key to optimizing resources, minimizing downtime, and advancing environmental goals. Schneider Electric's research reinforces that organizations and regions embracing higher autonomy levels are better positioned to innovate, cut costs, and stay competitive. Crucially, the report signals a strategic shift: autonomous solutions that boost efficiency and reduce emissions are now a priority for one of the world's most prominent energy hubs.”

“The convergence of electrification, automation, and digitalisation is accelerating the shift toward autonomous operations across the Middle East and Africa,” said Walid Sheta, Middle East & Africa President at Schneider Electric. “With electricity demand projected to rise by 50% and cooling alone driving over 500 TWh by 2035, according to the IEA, autonomous technologies are no longer optional - they’re essential. From AI-powered data centers to digital twins and self-healing grids, these intelligent systems are enabling safer, more resilient, and cost-efficient operations across the region’s energy infrastructure.”

The report highlights the accelerated pace of the AI transformation. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The AI transformation is well and truly underway, with interest and pilots shifting to actual deployments, according to the second edition of the Powering Possible report released by ADNOC and Microsoft

More than 850 global experts across energy, technology, AI, academia and finance – including leaders from OpenAI, TotalEnergies and the International Energy Agency – contributed to the report, which highlights the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption in the energy sector.

With 88% of companies surveyed agreeing that scaling AI is essential to achieving energy transformation, the 2025 report data shows that the energy sector is both powering AI and being transformed by it. AI is expected to have its greatest impact on energy distribution and emerging energy solutions, with applications ranging from predictive maintenance and smart grid management to real-time demand forecasting and energy optimisation. AI is helping to optimise grids, reduce energy usage and emissions, and unlock new efficiencies across the energy value chain.

Nearly nine in ten companies surveyed have increased investment in AI and digital infrastructure since 2024, with 73% of companies deploying AI across multiple business functions. One in five are already using agentic AI to automate complex decision-making. At the same time there is a widespread view that investments in grid modernization (55%) are key to keeping up with AI’s growing demands, followed by energy storage (38%) and advanced materials like high-efficiency conductors (33%).

However, realising AI’s full potential is not without challenges. Cybersecurity has overtaken cost as the top consideration for adoption (49%), followed closely by data quality and consistency (45%) and a shortage of skilled talent (39%). These challenges are compounded by the sector’s slower innovation cycles and the complexity of integrating AI into legacy systems.

As AI adoption continues to scale, access to reliable and sustainable energy is becoming a strategic priority. The challenge, and opportunity, is to align AI for energy and energy for AI so that each accelerates the other, delivering a more sustainable, secure, and inclusive energy future.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and ADNOC managing director and Group CEO said: “AI is no longer a future promise for the energy sector; it’s delivering real impact today from predictive maintenance to AI-optimised grids. At ADNOC, we’re embedding AI as a core capability across our operations, driving transformation at scale with measurable gains in reliability, efficiency, and sustainability. This report reflects the sector’s progress and provides a roadmap for what comes next — investing in talent, scaling proven solutions, and aligning policy with innovation. The next step is clear: move faster, together.”

Brad Smith, vice chair and president, Microsoft said, “Meeting the demands of both the AI era and energy transition will require more than ambition — it will take strong partnerships and innovation. That’s why Microsoft is working closely with energy leaders to reimagine power systems, develop talent, and build responsible AI practices.”

The report is available for download here.

Multiple autonomous control AI agents were deployed at Aramco’s Fadhili Gas Plant. (Image source: Aramco)

Yokogawa Electric Corporation, a leader in process automation technology, has successfully deployed multiple autonomous control AI agents at Aramco’s Fadhili Gas Plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance operational efficiency

The AI solution developed by Yokogawa uses multiple, coordinated AI agents of the Factorial Kernel Dynamic Policy Programming (FKDPP) reinforcement learning-based AI algorithm to directly and autonomously control and optimise acid gas removal (AGR) operations at the plant.

The solution was introduced in three phases, progressively optimising various sections until autonomous control of the core process in the AGR unit was achieved. To ensure safety, Yokogawa first created a simulator of the plant to train AI agents, and then evaluated their reliability and validity. Subsequently, they were integrated with Yokogawa's CENTUM VP integrated production control system to leverage the safety functions of the existing plant.

Initial results from Fadhili Gas Plant demonstrate a 10% to 15% reduction in its amine and steam usage, around 5% reduction in power usage, improved process stability, and a significant decrease in operator manual intervention, despite ambient condition changes.

Aramco Engineering Services senior vice president, Khalid Y. Al Qahtani, said, “Aramco has embarked on an ambitious plan to unlock value by deploying a wide range of industrial AI applications across our operations. The collaboration with Yokogawa is one of many initiatives that focus on improving efficiency, enhancing sustainability, and generating more value for our shareholders. It reflects how the company is harnessing advanced technology, including AI, to elevate its performance and reinforce its position as a technology leader in the energy sector. We look forward to building on this important milestone, as we explore further adoption of cutting-edge solutions that will contribute to a new era of industrial innovation.”

Kunimasa Shigeno, director, president & CEO, and representative executive officer of Yokogawa Electric, said, “We are honoured that Yokogawa was entrusted by Aramco to implement such ground-breaking technology in one of its major facilities. We are very pleased that the results have already exceeded expectations. Yokogawa is advocating the transition from industrial automation to industrial autonomy (IA2IA), and this deployment proves that we are ready to lead the way towards safe and secure autonomous operations for plants in the energy sector.”

FliCS will provide valuable diagnostics for matrix acid stimulation for Middle East clients. (Image source: WellSense)

WellSense, a specialist in fibre optic well diagnostics, will demonstrate the results from its successful field trial of its new well conveyance technology at ADIPEC

Developed at WellSense’s UK headquarters and R&D hub in Aberdeen, the FiberLine Intervention Conveyance System (FliCS) well conveyance technology, designed to improve the speed, quality, cost and efficiency of diagnostic surveys in horizontal wells, is able to rapidly deploy bare fibre into highly deviated wells.

WellSense successfully completed a technology field trial for a major international operator in August 2025, where the single-use, jet-propelled and battery powered system deployed bare fibre into a 19,000 foot uncompleted well in the Permian Basin for cross well strain monitoring. The deployment took just 50 minutes, around 10 times faster than a standard pumpdown operation. The prototype model deploys 25,000 feet of fibre in little over an hour, travelling around ~350ft./min. versus ~35 ft./min. for a conventional tractor conveyance. The lightweight components can be left in the toe of the well or pushed to the bottom. The new well access solution introduces the ability to deploy Fli into horizontal wells to acquire distributed acoustic sensing and distributed temperature sensing data across the reservoir.

The operator has confirmed its intention to redeploy the technology in four further projects over the next three months.

In the Middle East, the technology promises to provide valuable diagnostics for matrix acid stimulation, an approach widely used to improve carbonate rock matrix permeability and flow channels, so improved knowledge of fluid placement can enhance treatment and diretly improve well performance.

Annabel Green, CEO at WellSense, said, “FliCS will provide well operators a cost-effective, low risk well surveillance solution for horizontal wells for the first time. While it will have many applications in well integrity, it also enables a major expansion of injection profiling capabilities. This has global application, providing performance data to enable water injection to be optimised for effective pressure support and oil displacement."

WellSense is looking to deliver its first, multi-unit, prototype order while developing a slimmer model for deployment through smaller tubing, with a view to commercial launch early next year. It is looking to actively engage with customers at ADIPEC and beyond to discuss opportunities.