ADIPEC 2026, taking place from 2-5 November in Abu Dhabi, will focus on turning energy opportunity into practical delivery, with its programme built around the decisions, capital and partnerships needed to strengthen global energy systems.
According to Thomas Löffler, Senior Vice President, ADIPEC, the world is entering a new era of energy demand, creating opportunities to expand supply, build infrastructure and deploy technologies that support energy security and economic growth.
For ADIPEC, he says, turning opportunity into action means moving beyond discussion and focusing on implementation.
That ambition will be reflected across the event’s conferences, exhibition and wider programme. Löffler says the Strategic Conference has been designed around decisions that must be made now to expand energy capacity, attract investment and deploy technology at scale. New programmes, including Energy Security & Resilience and Grids, Infrastructure & Industrial Execution, will explore solutions linked to supply, infrastructure and resilience.
On the exhibition side, ADIPEC 2026 will showcase the projects, technologies and partnerships already helping to deliver these outcomes, creating opportunities for governments, industry leaders, investors and technology providers to connect around commercial and strategic priorities.
For Löffler, the event’s role is to bring together the people, capital and capabilities needed to translate ambition into projects, investments and partnerships that strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of global energy systems.
Rising energy demand, technological disruption and global competition are also forcing governments and companies to think more carefully about how future energy systems are financed, built and operated.
Löffler says the industry’s priorities are shaped by a simple reality: the world needs more energy, delivered more efficiently, intelligently and reliably. As a result, ADIPEC 2026 will focus on expanding supply, the growing role of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, investment for new infrastructure, and stronger integration across industries and value chains.
From scale to impact
While ADIPEC is one of the sector’s largest global gatherings, Löffler says success is not defined by attendance alone. The more important measure is whether the event helps create decisions and partnerships that continue beyond the four days in Abu Dhabi.
Last year, the event helped facilitate more than $53 billion in business opportunities across over 49,000 meetings and deals. For Löffler, this shows the value of bringing decision-makers together in one place, and the importance of relationships that begin before the event and continue after it ends.
Through leadership forums, investor programmes and targeted networking opportunities, ADIPEC aims to connect people who can move projects forward. Many partnerships and agreements announced at the event, he says, are built on relationships that start months earlier and continue long after the exhibition closes.
Capital mobilisation will be central to that process. Meeting future energy demand will require investment across production capacity, LNG, grids, storage, industrial infrastructure and digital technologies. ADIPEC creates a space where project developers, investors, policymakers and technology providers can engage directly, helping bridge the gap between innovation and deployment.
Just as importantly, Löffler says the event supports dialogue around the policy and market conditions needed to encourage investment. Investors are looking for confidence, clarity and long-term value, and ADIPEC’s convening role helps bring the full ecosystem into the same conversation.
Energy security will also be treated as an economic competitiveness issue. Löffler says the most urgent discussion is how to build energy systems that can keep pace with rising demand while strengthening economic resilience. That means expanding supply, accelerating infrastructure development, improving connectivity across markets and deploying technologies such as AI to improve efficiency and performance.
It also means recognising that energy no longer operates in isolation. It is increasingly connected to manufacturing, logistics, finance, digital infrastructure and broader economic development. “The opportunities are there. The question is how quickly governments, investors and industry can work together to deliver them,” Löffler says.
The breadth of ADIPEC’s audience remains central to its purpose. National and international energy companies, emerging technology businesses, developing economies, investors and policymakers all arrive with different priorities. Löffler says the programme is designed to address those interests while keeping participants connected to one common objective: unlocking opportunity by expanding supply, strengthening resilience and building more integrated energy systems.
Innovation will also have a major platform. ADIPEC’s Technical Conference received more than 7,200 abstract submissions this year, a record that Löffler says reflects both the pace of innovation across the global energy industry and the relevance of the event itself.
Source: Oil & Gas Middle East
