Schneider Electric, a multinational energy technology company based in the United Kingdom, on Thursday declared that the second edition of the Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa would be hosted in Abu Dhabi between April 28 and 29.
The summit will also unite international energy and technology leaders and government officials to develop the regional transition to energy intelligence, as data centre growth, AI adoption, and national visions impose unprecedented demands on energy systems.
This year’s Summit of this year is coming at a critical juncture of the Middle East and Africa as the area undergoes an exponential growth with national visions, giga projects, and explosive development in AI, data centres, and digital infrastructure.
As the global electricity demand is expected to surge at a rapid CAGR of 3.6 percent through the forthcoming 2026-2030 period, and global AI workloads are set to drive a 160 percent rise in data centre power demand, the need to have intelligent, sustainable energy solutions has never been more critical.
Zone President, Middle East and Africa, Schneider Electric, Walid Sheta, said, Energy today is the foundation of national resilience and competitiveness. With electricity consumption in the Middle East and North Africa having tripled since 2000 and on course to grow at an incremental 3-4 percent every year to register a whopping 50 percent by 2035 – driven by surging cooling, desalination, and urbanisation demands, the region is at an inflection point.”
He further stated that the summit emphasizes the commitment of Schneider to expedite the innovativeness of energy technology and energize energy intelligence across the region.
Abu Dhabi’s initiation as a regional hub for energy transition, digital infrastructure, and innovation makes it an ideal fit for the summit.
The UAE’s net-zero ambitions and large-scale investments in power and digital infrastructure indicate the scale of the challenge and the opportunity to embed energy intelligence into the region’s next wave of expansion.
The highlights of the summit this year will include regional standards in excess of 80 countries, including the 100 percent eradication of SF6 and Carbon footprint reduction of the fruit producers in South Africa and the savings that EcoStruxure Power & Grid is disabling the National Electricity Company, Senegal, to make sure that recovery times are now at 3 minutes instead of 3 hours as before.
The summit will include high-impact activities and the launch of new products, cementing the position of Schneider Electric as a pioneer in energy transformation in the Middle East and Africa.
President, Gulf Cluster at Schneider Electric, Amel Chadli, stated, “Across the Gulf, energy intelligence is becoming the operational reality as public and private sector enterprises race to align with national visions for a decarbonized and sustainable future. As one of the most local of global companies, Schneider Electric is empowering customers to move beyond electrification and implement AI‑driven, software‑defined energy systems that deliver efficiency, resilience, and sustainability at national scale.”
