World Future Energy Summit 2026 in Abu Dhabi spotlights AI’s role in transforming clean energy, smart cities, and sustainability, driving innovation while balancing environmental and digital efficiency….reports Asian Lite News
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a game-changer in the clean energy sector, and the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2026 aims to spotlight its transformative potential. The three-day summit, running from 13th to 15th January at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), is a key component of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 and will focus on how AI can reshape energy production, transmission, and data-driven distribution.
With AI embedded across all seven conference tracks this year, the summit will debut the FUSE AI Zone—a dedicated platform hosting more than 40 companies showcasing cutting-edge AI solutions for clean energy, smart infrastructure, and climate resilience. Additionally, the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Conference will explore how AI can be harnessed responsibly to accelerate progress in energy, infrastructure, and smart cities.
Optimising energy efficiency
WFES 2026 will gather global thought leaders, innovators, and policy influencers to highlight AI’s predictive capabilities and its role in optimising the management of renewable energy flows. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), AI is already being applied across multiple domains, from grid management and demand-response systems to maintenance forecasting and energy storage. These advances enhance performance, enabling companies to deliver renewable energy with greater reliability and efficiency.
Experts will tackle critical questions: Can AI compensate for energy policy gaps that hinder the transition to carbon-free power? Can it accelerate innovation, enabling researchers to rapidly test and deploy technologies that advance decarbonisation? Panels will also explore AI’s role in mineralisation for carbon capture, offering innovative solutions to the region’s sustainability challenges.
Aligning with UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 initiative
The UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative targets a 50 per cent clean energy mix, a 70 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, and tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030. AI is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving these goals by improving efficiency and reliability across energy systems. The WFES 2025 AI and Technology Insights Report underscores AI’s ability to optimise smart grids, balance electricity supply and demand in real time, integrate renewables, and reduce the need for new power plants—provided utilities invest in digital infrastructure and workforce skills.
AI transforming buildings, urban design, and energy use
Another focus of WFES 2026 is AI’s potential to enhance energy efficiency in buildings and urban spaces. AI-powered tools are helping companies reduce energy consumption by up to 60 per cent in certain instances, according to the World Economic Forum. Keynote sessions and panels will explore new AI-driven design solutions for energy-, water-, and people-efficient spaces, helping developers reduce costs and environmental impact. Speakers will also examine innovation, collaboration, and resilient supply chains as key drivers of sustainable urban development.
Shyam Parmar, Event Director of WFES, said, “The Summit brings together some of the brightest minds from across the global energy landscape. The FUSE AI Zone and Artificial Intelligence Conference provide an unparalleled platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and debate on deploying AI responsibly to accelerate clean energy ambitions.”
While AI’s benefits are clear, its energy footprint cannot be ignored. Estimates suggest AI-related electricity consumption could rise by as much as 50 per cent annually between 2023 and 2030, with data centre demand potentially growing from one per cent to over three per cent of global energy use.
WFES 2026 will address these challenges through dedicated sessions on realigning AI growth with climate objectives, balancing energy consumption, and driving sustainable innovation without sacrificing performance. Mehdi Ajana, Head of Strategy at Nabat, stressed, “It’s essential to guide AI growth with data-driven approaches, ensuring technology solves real-world problems while supporting climate and biodiversity goals.”
AI powering renewable energy breakthroughs
The summit will also highlight pioneering projects such as the UAE’s first large-scale round-the-clock solar and battery storage system, launched in January 2025 by Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Company. Delivering up to one gigawatt of baseload renewable energy daily, the system demonstrates how AI can support clean energy generation while minimising reliance on fossil fuels.
WFES 2026 will further explore AI applications in healthcare, food security, weather modelling, and smart agriculture. Innovative tools, including AI-powered micro-level weather forecasting, will help farmers optimise crop choices, yields, and maintenance schedules, illustrating AI’s ability to accelerate sustainability solutions beyond the energy sector.
Experts emphasise that AI deployments must remain grounded in human-defined goals. Strategic oversight, multidisciplinary collaboration, and a focus on real-world problem-solving are essential to turning AI’s promise into tangible outcomes. By connecting AI innovation with sustainable energy, urban development, and climate action, WFES 2026 aims to move the world closer to a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future.
