Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy technology, has announced that the second edition of its Middle East & Africa Innovation Summit will take place in Abu Dhabi from April 28-29, 2026.
The summit will bring together top global energy and technology leaders, alongside government officials, to accelerate the region's transformation towards smart energy. This comes at a time of expanding data centers, increasing adoption of artificial intelligence, and rising demands on national energy systems.
Schneider Electric is focused on integrating electrification, automation, and digital intelligence into buildings, data centers, industrial applications, and energy grids. Their goal is to maximize energy value and ensure efficiency and sustainability.
This summit is happening at a crucial time for the region, which is experiencing rapid expansion in digital infrastructure projects and AI, coupled with a growing demand for electricity. Electricity demand is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.6% between 2026 and 2030, with data centers alone projected to see a 160% increase in energy demand due to AI and global investments.
Walid Sheta, President of Schneider Electric for the Middle East and Africa, stated that energy is now the foundation of national resilience and competitiveness. With electricity consumption in the region tripling since 2000 and projected to grow by 3-4% annually to reach 50% by 2035, the region stands at a critical crossroads. The Innovation Summit underscores our commitment to accelerating innovations and supporting energy intelligence across the region, highlighting Schneider Electric as a trusted partner leading the next phase of this transformation.
Abu Dhabi is the perfect location for the summit, given its role as a regional hub for energy and digital infrastructure, its support for climate neutrality, and its significant investments in this area. The summit will showcase tangible projects from over 80 countries, ranging from reducing SF6 gas in South Africa to providing fast and efficient energy in Senegal through the EcoStruxure Power & Grid system.
Summit activities include a CEO Forum, in partnership with Forbes Middle East, to discuss energy intelligence strategies with 100 business leaders. There will also be keynote sessions and thought leadership sessions featuring executive experts and strategic partners like Bain & Company.
Attendees can also look forward to the Innovation Hub experience, featuring live demonstrations and practical trials of the latest smart energy solutions across a 3,000 square foot space. Stakeholders will also be honored, with 20 regional awards and five special Middle East & Africa awards presented in categories such as growth, efficiency, innovation, and sustainability.
Amal Al Shadhli, President of Schneider Electric for the Gulf region, commented that smart energy has become a practical reality in the Gulf, where organizations are racing to implement national visions for a sustainable, carbon-free future.
Schneider Electric empowers its customers to move beyond traditional electrification towards AI-powered and software-defined energy systems, achieving efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. The summit offers a roadmap for the next phase in the relationship between energy and digital capabilities.
With the adoption of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and cloud computing, energy technologies must now be flexible, sustainable, and scalable to meet the demands of the modern era.
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