Demand for energy, including new grids and data centres, will require up to $4 trillion in investment annually, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Adnoc's managing director and group chief executive, told an energy conference on Monday.
“We need massive capital investment. We are talking about more than $4 trillion annually to cover grids, data centres and all sources of energy supply,” Dr Al Jaber said in his opening address to the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec).
The growth of AI and data centres requires a higher demand for gas and infrastructure outlay. “Gas provides more than a quarter of the baseload power required by data centres and a shortage of gas turbines is turning a supply crunch into a choke point that is pushing electricity prices higher,” said Dr Al Jaber, who is also the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.
He highlighted the need for infrastructure to support artificial intelligence and data centre development. “We need at least six million kilometres of new transmission lines by 2050. You simply can’t run tomorrow’s economy on yesterday’s grid,” he said.
AI is increasingly common in the energy industry, with one in five companies now using agentic AI in their operations, a recent Adnoc-Microsoft report found. Agentic AI has a high degree of autonomy that makes decisions on complex decisions in specific projects or across different functions.
About 88 per cent of executives believe AI has a positive effect on energy and their relationship is now “symbiotic”, the report added.
Adnoc's managing director and group chief executive
In his opening comments, Dr Al Jaber said Adnoc was focused on becoming the most “AI native energy company”.
On Sunday, Adnoc and Microsoft signed a deal to develop AI agents to be used across its various functions. AI agents can allow for automation of processes such as production, maintenance, monitoring and data analysis. They reduce the risks of human error because the AI agents automate routine and complex tasks on their own.
Adnoc also signed three deals with US-based Gecko Robotics to use robotics and AI across its operations. The agreements are to explore the use of robotics and AI across the major oil company's operations to boost efficiency and train UAE citizens.
The agreements cover a multi-year technology roll-out for Adnoc Gas, joint training programmes with the Adnoc Technical Academy and the introduction of robotics and AI-powered analytics across Adnoc's assets to reduce downtime and support data-driven maintenance, the Abu Dhabi-based company said on Sunday.
Dr Al Jaber also said on Monday that the UAE’s pragmatic approach proves how policy grounded in reality builds investor confidence and explained that the country is a model for “credible, technology-driven, investment-friendly” policy solutions.
“Here in the UAE, our approach optimises energy, attracts capital, advances technology and works with industry on practical policy solutions. Global capital continues to flow into the UAE because investors value credibility, appreciate predictability and put a premium on trust. All are found in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE,” he said.
Citing Adnoc's achievements as a testament to the UAE’s pragmatic approach, Dr Al Jaber said the company is using every technology available, including AI and robotics to collapse time and expand value.
“Through our home-grown company AIQ, we have embedded over 200 AI use cases, from the wellhead to the trading floor. These tools are cutting unplanned shutdowns by half and enhancing performance across our business,” he said.
Adnoc's 'Energy to the Power of AI' programme will make production forecasts “90 per cent more accurate”, he added.
Looking ahead and keeping in mind the geopolitical environment, Dr Al Jaber said: “While we may face headwinds in the months ahead, the long-term outlook shows demand growth for every form of energy across every market. Our response to meet that demand should focus on the data, not the drama.”
Separately, on Monday, Adnoc and global oilfield services company SLB launched an AI-powered Production System Optimisation (AiPSO) platform, with initial deployment across eight oil and gasfields. The technology will be implemented across all 25 Adnoc’s onshore and offshore fields by 2027, the companies said in a joint statement at Adipec.
“AiPSO will transform the productivity of our upstream operations as we work to become the most AI-enabled energy company,” said Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Adnoc Upstream's chief executive. “It supports our strategy to increase production capacity while enabling our people to complete complex tasks up to 10 times faster.”
