AI takes centre stage at World Future Energy Summit 2026 to drive clean energy innovation

The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2026 is gearing up to really shine a spotlight on how artificial intelligence (AI) can actually play a transformative role in pushing forward clean energy and sustainability efforts, especially across the Middle East, but beyond that too. The event is set to take place from January 13 to 15 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026. And it’s worth noting, this will be the 18th edition, and apparently it’s going to be the biggest and most ambitious yet, with AI taking center stage as a key driver toward meeting regional and global clean energy goals.

AI is increasingly seen as a game-changer, that is, a tool that can really speed up the shift to clean energy by optimizing how we produce, transmit, and distribute power. The summit will feature the FUSE AI Zone, which is this dedicated part of the event showcasing some pretty exciting AI innovations from over 40 different companies. These solutions are tackling big issues like clean energy systems, smarter infrastructure, and climate resilience. It’s clear that AI’s footprint is expanding, playing an ever more significant role in sustainable development.

Oh, and interestingly enough, the event will also host its first-ever Artificial Intelligence Conference. It’ll be a space for meaningful conversations about how we can use AI responsibly to speed up innovation in areas like energy, infrastructure, and urban planning, all while managing its own energy needs. Industry experts will be delving into topics like predictive analytics, grid management, demand response, and improvements in energy storage. All of these things, well, they’re pretty essential if we want to efficiently plug in variable renewable sources, cut down on dependence on fossil fuels, and make our systems more reliable overall.

Now, the Middle East and North Africa, MENA, region is particularly eager to adopt AI across various sectors, and stands to benefit quite a bit from these advances. For instance, the UAE has this “Net Zero by 2050” Strategic Initiative aiming to boost the share of clean energy to 50% of the total energy mix by 2050, slash carbon emissions by 70%, and triple renewable capacity by 2030. And AI? Well, it’s expected to be a crucial enabler toward hitting those really ambitious targets by optimizing resource use and supporting quick technological breakthroughs.

WFES organizers are basically highlighting AI’s potential to cut energy consumption dramatically, by as much as 60%. That’s especially important in buildings and infrastructure, which remain some of the largest energy consumers around. The summit will look into tools that use automation and smart software to design and run more energy- and water-efficient buildings, pretty impressive, right? These efforts aim to reduce costs while also meeting environmental objectives. Through panel discussions and keynote speeches, industry leaders will address critical challenges, but also the huge opportunities for increasing energy efficiency at homes and in businesses through AI.

That said, there’s also a focus on understanding AI’s own energy footprint, something often overlooked. Credible projections suggest that AI-related electricity use could grow by as much as 50% annually from 2023 to 2030, with data centers’ energy needs climbing from about 1% of global electricity in 2022 to over 3% by 2030. To tackle this, projects like the collaboration between Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Company in Abu Dhabi are leading the way with giga-scale solar and battery storage systems. These projects provide gigawatts of renewable, baseline power that can support AI and digital infrastructure with minimal carbon emissions.

Of course, WFES 2026 isn’t just ignoring this issue. There will be dedicated panels discussing how to align the expansion of AI with climate goals. The conversations will revolve around sustainable innovation, balancing AI’s usefulness with its energy demands, and deploying AI responsibly to squeeze out maximum benefits while minimizing environmental costs. As Mehdi Ajana, who heads strategy at Nabat, will emphasize, guiding AI’s growth through data-driven approaches and clear climate targets is just as important as advancing the technology itself.

And it’s not all about energy, AI’s role in other critical areas like healthcare, food security, and weather forecasting will also be explored. For example, presentations on an AI-powered weather forecasting tool developed by Earth Two Climate, G42, and NVIDIA will demonstrate how precise weather modeling can help with agricultural planning and resilience. It’s quite fascinating, isn’t it? The potential for AI to accelerate sustainability efforts across various fields is pretty broad.

The summit continues to act as a key global platform connecting climate policy with real-world innovation and business opportunities. Besides the FUSE AI Zone, the revamped Greenhouse startup platform will showcase over 50 pioneering companies working in clean energy, mobility, water, and climate tech sectors. The goal is to foster connections with investors and corporate partners, pushing ideas from the drawing board into real-world application. All of this underscores WFES 2026’s pivotal role in helping both regional and global initiatives aimed at a low-carbon, sustainable future.

Masdar, the UAE’s leading clean energy organization and the event’s host, stays committed to speeding up the deployment of renewables around the world. They’re targeting a massive 100 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030. Through events like WFES and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, they’re really fostering international collaboration, encouraging cross-sector dialogue, and helping to deploy innovative tech solutions to meet some of today’s most urgent sustainability challenges.

As AI moves from just promising theory to practical applications, its role in energy systems is becoming more compelling, offering avenues to boost efficiency, reliability, and environmental outcomes. The World Future Energy Summit 2026 will not only showcase these innovations but also serve as a platform to steer AI’s rapid development toward responsible, impactful solutions that can truly help accelerate the global clean energy drive.

Source: Noah Wire Services