The 2026 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi will spotlight artificial intelligence’s role in transforming renewable energy, enhancing grid efficiency, and tackling the environmental impacts of digital infrastructure, amid ambitious regional decarbonisation goals.
Abu Dhabi is gearing up to host a major exploration into how artificial intelligence might speed up the clean energy transition when the World Future Energy Summit, or WFES, makes its return as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, scheduled from January 13 to 15 in 2026.
Reading the original info from SolarQuarter, it’s clear that AI will be the main theme traveling through all seven conference tracks. There’s also a new feature called the FUSE AI Zone, where more than 40 companies will showcase tools aimed at improving renewable energy production, managing the grid more effectively, and enhancing urban infrastructure. The summit will further feature its first-ever Artificial Intelligence Conference, a gathering designed to evaluate both the potential benefits and environmental costs of expanding AI across energy systems.
The organizers seem to have a practical goal in mind: demonstrating how predictive models can help balance supply and demand better, cut down on waste, and support grid stability as we lean more toward low-carbon solutions. Shyam Parmar, who is the Event Director for the summit, told SolarQuarter that the event helps bring together some of the brightest minds from around the world’s energy landscape, playing a key role in unlocking AI’s huge potential, not just for increasing energy efficiency in homes and businesses but also for pushing progress throughout the entire clean energy and sustainability ecosystem.
The regional context makes the summit particularly urgent. The UAE’s ambitious Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative aims for clean energy to constitute half of the nation’s power mix by mid-century, with plans to cut emissions by 70% and triple renewable capacity by 2030. According to the 2025 AI and Technology Insights Report from the WFES and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week advisory committee, smart-grid algorithms and predictive maintenance can substantially improve how well variable renewables are integrated, and limit the need for new baseload plants, though this relies heavily on investing not just in digital infrastructure but also in developing skills.
The potential benefits are pretty striking. A report from SolarQuarter references analysis by the World Economic Forum which suggests that AI tools are already allowing companies to cut their energy use by as much as 60% in specific areas, especially building controls and operational efficiency. The summit plans to emphasize these immediate wins but also to address some tougher questions, like, how do we ensure AI research tackles real decarbonization issues instead of just optimizing for the fastest computational performance?
That point is especially important because AI’s need for computing power is increasing rapidly. Independent analyses consistently highlight that electricity demand from data centers and AI training is surging. McKinsey, for example, projects that U.S. data center electricity use will spike throughout the 2020s as AI continues to grow. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund estimated that in 2023, global energy consumption from data centers and AI was roughly 400–500 TWh, and warned it might reach around 1,500 TWh by 2030, roughly comparable to the current energy use of a major emerging economy. These projections are why the summit will include sessions focused on AI’s energy footprint and how to balance model growth with climate goals.
Speakers will discuss practical strategies like shifting AI workloads to data centers powered by dedicated renewable sources, improving the efficiency of models themselves, and using AI to reduce energy losses during transmission and within buildings. SolarQuarter highlights a significant project announced by Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Company aimed at installing a giga-scale solar plus battery setup in Abu Dhabi, expected to generate up to one gigawatt of renewable baseload power daily. The report claims that coupling clean power generation with AI infrastructure could significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuel backups and lower lifecycle emissions.
It’s not all focused on energy, though. The summit will also showcase AI applications in sectors like health, food security, and weather prediction. One keynote is set to introduce an AI-powered weather forecast tool created by Earth Two Climate, G42, and NVIDIA, which boasts the ability to deliver a resolution as fine as one square meter, a breakthrough that could greatly enhance irrigation and crop planning for farming businesses.
The discussion will also include debates about governance and priorities. The 2025 AI and Technology Insights Report emphasizes that technology deployment should be driven by addressing real-world problems rather than adopting AI just for its own sake. It calls for human oversight, collaboration across disciplines, and measurable results. Mehdi Ajana, the Head of Strategy at Nabat, shared with the organizers that at WFES, they’ll be looking at practical, data-driven methods, whether it’s improving habitat classification, health assessment models, or monitoring carbon and biodiversity, to better align AI innovations with tangible climate outcomes. That quote from SolarQuarter captures the essence well.
For utilities and policymakers in the Gulf region, the summit’s messages seem clear. First, AI can greatly enhance grid flexibility, asset performance, and demand-side savings if investments in sensors, connectivity, and skills keep pace. But, second, unchecked growth of AI models could add a substantial new load to power systems, a policy challenge that underscores the need to link AI applications to cleaner energy supply and efficiency standards.
The organizers see WFES 2026 as more than just discussions. It’s a platform to turn these ideas into action. Bringing together tech providers, energy companies, and regulators, they hope to move beyond just proving concepts to launching pilot projects and procurement plans that pair AI solutions with renewable energy and storage options.
The World Future Energy Summit 2026 will be held at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi from January 13 to 15, hosted by Masdar as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. According to SolarQuarter, the event aims to focus on how AI can speed up decarbonization efforts while also ensuring these advancements don’t lead to increased emissions, something that’s pretty important, right?
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://solarquarter.com/2025/12/03/world-future-energy-summit-2026-to-spotlight-potential-of-ai-in-middle-easts-clean-energy-sector/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/week-in-charts/ais-power-binge – McKinsey’s analysis reveals that U.S. data centers’ electricity consumption is projected to reach 606 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030, up from 147 TWh in 2023, representing 11.7% of total U.S. power demand. This surge is driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the need for substantial investments in renewable energy solutions and infrastructure to meet the escalating demand.
- https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/data-centres/us-data-center-power-demand-forecast-to-hit-106gw-by-2035-report-warns – A BloombergNEF report warns that U.S. data center power demand is expected to soar to 106 gigawatts (GW) by 2035, a 36% increase from previous projections. This surge is largely driven by the rapid expansion of AI, particularly large-scale AI projects requiring vast computational resources, potentially overwhelming existing electrical grids and raising concerns about grid reliability and energy costs.
- https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand – Goldman Sachs Research estimates that data center power demand will grow 160% by 2030, driven by the increasing energy needs of AI technologies. This growth is expected to raise data centers’ share of total U.S. power consumption from 3% in 2022 to 8% by 2030, necessitating significant investments in new generation capacity and infrastructure to meet the rising demand.
- https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/081325-artificial-intelligence-power-demand-in-us-could-top-50-gw-by-2030-epri – The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) projects that AI-related power demand in the U.S. could increase tenfold by 2030, reaching over 50 gigawatts (GW). This surge is driven by the training of large-scale ‘frontier models’ and underscores the need for new approaches to grid planning, permitting, and infrastructure investment to accommodate the escalating energy requirements of AI.
- https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/feature-stories/whats-in-a-number-5-figures-on-the-next-era-of-ai-data-centers.do – Hanwha’s feature highlights that AI’s increasing power demand is projected to grow around 50% to 92 gigawatts (GW) by 2027, and by as much as 165% by 2030 compared to 2023. Meeting this demand could require an estimated $720 billion in new grid investment worldwide by the end of the decade, emphasizing the scale of the infrastructure challenge ahead.
- https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Publications/WEO/2025/April/English/commodityspecialfeature.ashx – The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) report estimates that global electricity consumption from data centers and AI reached 400–500 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2023, more than double the level in 2015. By 2030, AI-driven global electricity consumption could hit 1,500 TWh, comparable to India’s current total electricity consumption, highlighting the substantial impact of AI on global energy demand.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is recent, published on 3 December 2025, and focuses on the upcoming World Future Energy Summit 2026, scheduled for January 13–15, 2026. The event is set to feature AI prominently, with the launch of the FUSE AI Zone and the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Conference. This emphasis on AI in clean energy is a new development, indicating high freshness. The content appears original, with no evidence of being recycled from other sources. The narrative is based on a press release from the World Future Energy Summit, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data and new initiatives, justifying a higher freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from Shyam Parmar, Event Director for the summit, and Mehdi Ajana, Head of Strategy at Nabat. A search for these quotes reveals no earlier usage, indicating they are original to this report. No variations in wording were found, and no online matches were found for these quotes, suggesting they are exclusive to this narrative.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from SolarQuarter, a publication focusing on solar and renewable energy news. While it is a niche publication, it is not obscure or unverifiable. The World Future Energy Summit is a reputable event, and the information aligns with other reputable sources. However, the reliance on a single outlet for the information introduces some uncertainty.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about the World Future Energy Summit 2026, including the focus on AI and the launch of the FUSE AI Zone, are plausible and align with the event’s objectives. The UAE’s commitment to clean energy and AI integration is well-documented. The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant, without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for a corporate or official announcement.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, original, and aligns with the objectives of the World Future Energy Summit 2026. The quotes are exclusive to this report, and the information is plausible and consistent with known facts. The reliance on a single source introduces some uncertainty, but overall, the narrative passes the fact-check with high confidence.
