Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The AI Zone at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC 2025) offers a first-hand look at the pivotal and transformative role of artificial intelligence in the energy sector – and how it is charting new pathways for the industry’s future.
A gathering of leading figures from the global energy sector, under the theme “Energy. Intelligence. Impact,” the four-day event commenced at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) on Monday.
Speaking to Aletihad at the AI Zone, innovators highlighted the integral role of artificial intelligence in driving the energy sector forward, from strategy and finance to robotics, safety, as well as real-time monitoring.
Andrew Smart, Senior Managing Director and Middle East, Europe, and Africa Energy Lead at Accenture, a leading global professional services company that specialises in digital transformation, said they were honoured to act as the AI strategic thought partner for ADIPEC this year.
“Our goal really is to stretch the thinking of the industry to see how AI-led transformation can reinvent the way the industry works and operates, and to help transform the energy systems of today into the energy systems of tomorrow.”
In this realm, he noted that the UAE’s momentum is decisive: “It is redefining the mission of the nation. The alignment between the national goals and the goals of the energy industry in the UAE is incredibly powerful, because it enables change and innovation to happen at a far greater pace.”
He added that the link between AI and energy is ever increasingly clear. “You cannot have AI without energy.”
Seth Long, President & CEO of Shepherd Safety Systems, a leader in innovative safety and methane detection solutions, introduced a field-ready safety platform.
The system is “a Class I, Division I, ATEX-approved gas detection system that provides real-time gas telemetry data from any location - whether that be on production facilities, drilling rigs, or completion activities.”
Each sensor “can provide up to six gases, such as H₂S, methane, LEL, sulfur dioxide, and more,” giving operators “a proactive look into gases that protect our people, as well as fugitive emissions like methane.”
AI is the engine behind the insights. “We utilise a lot of AI in our methane quantification algorithms to proactively see leaks, quantify those leaks, and analyse potential outcomes if they are not fixed. It allows people to distinguish between intermittent and permanent leaks and pinpoint where to spend their time.”
Yifan Yang, Overseas Sales & Marketing Director at Supcon, a leading provider of automation and information technology products and solutions, showcased a second-generation quadruped robot developed with DeepRobotic.
Designed for industrial parks and mixed indoor-outdoor routes, it combines cameras with AI vision “to analyse video for human behaviour and device inspection”, and can “recognise bulbs or other equipment within plants and buildings,” Yifan said.
