Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, opened Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026 by highlighting the profound transformation underway in the global economy, driven by artificial intelligence, digital capability, and the energy required to power them.
Speaking in the presence of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan before an audience of heads of state, ministers, and senior officials, Dr. Al Jaber described the moment as the beginning of a new era of human progress shaped by computational power and advanced technologies.
“Artificial intelligence is rewiring every industry, reshaping every sector and resetting expectations for global growth,” he said. “While the world is changing around us, one constant remains. And that is 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.”
Dr. Al Jaber noted that over the next 15 years, data centre power demand will increase sixfold. Energy needs will accelerate across all sectors, with air travel expected to double and an additional 1.5 billion people projected to live in cities, increasing demand for cooling, heating, mobility, and industrial production.
“Meeting all this demand responsibly, reliably and affordably means coming to terms with reality,” he said. “Over 70 percent of this energy will still come from hydrocarbons.” Rather than viewing this as a constraint, he urged leaders to see it as a catalyst. “Sustainable progress is not about slowing down growth, it is about designing a better engine.”
He said the UAE has structured its economy to meet this reality, describing the country as one where growth is “grounded in pragmatism, guided by farsighted leadership, powered by ambition and built for the long term.”
Dr. Al Jaber also praised President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for founding Masdar, the host of ADSW. He recalled the decision made two decades ago to invest in renewable energy, noting that Masdar has since developed projects in more than 40 countries and helped reduce renewable energy costs by over 90 percent globally.
