UAE Advances AI and Energy Leadership at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026

The UAE opened Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026 with a keynote address by Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, emphasizing the transformative role of artificial intelligence, energy, and strategic partnerships in driving global growth and sustainable development.

Dr. Al Jaber delivered his remarks in the presence of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, alongside an audience of heads of state, ministers, and senior government officials.

AI and Energy: Driving the New Era
Highlighting a “new era of human progress powered by computational power and digital capability,” Dr. Al Jaber underscored that while artificial intelligence is reshaping industries worldwide, the fundamental driver of growth remains energy. “Every algorithm, every data center, every breakthrough in advanced technology needs power to drive it. Simply put, there is no artificial intelligence without actual energy,” he said.

Dr. Al Jaber noted that global data center power demand is expected to increase sixfold over the next 15 years, while energy demand across other sectors will rise due to urbanization, increased air travel, and industrial production. He added that over 70 percent of future energy will still come from hydrocarbons, framing this reality as a catalyst for sustainable progress rather than a limitation.

UAE’s Strategic Energy Approach
The UAE has structured its economy to meet these challenges, integrating carbon-efficient hydrocarbons with clean energy. Dr. Al Jaber cited Masdar’s achievements in deploying large-scale solar, wind, and nuclear projects, as well as Masdar’s current progress toward a 100 GW renewable energy portfolio, more than two-thirds complete.

He emphasized the UAE’s approach of embedding AI system-wide across its industrial and energy sectors to optimize every megawatt, barrel, and production line, ensuring efficiency and long-term resilience.

Partnership and Global Leadership
Dr. Al Jaber highlighted the UAE as “an open platform for partnership,” practicing “radical collaboration” and offering stability, long-term vision, policy clarity, and world-class infrastructure for investors, CEOs, and technologists. He credited President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for founding Masdar 20 years ago, noting the company’s role in advancing renewable energy projects in over 40 countries and driving down costs by more than 90 percent.

Legacy and Human-Centric Development
Reflecting on the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAE’s Founding Father, Dr. Al Jaber stressed that true leadership is measured by human dignity and impact on lives, not wealth or power. He connected this vision to the Zayed Sustainability Prize, which has positively affected more than 400 million people globally since its launch in 2008.

Concluding his address, Dr. Al Jaber called on attendees to bring ambition, ideas, capital, and technology to Abu Dhabi, describing the UAE as the “address for sustainable human progress, where gigawatts of power meet terabytes of data, and opportunity is operationalized through lasting partnerships.”