Schneider Electric has announced the second edition of the Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa will be held in Abu Dhabi from April 28–29, 2026.
The summit will bring together global energy and technology leaders, as well as government officials, to advance the regional shift toward energy intelligence, as data centre growth, AI adoption, and national development visions place unprecedented demands on energy systems.
Schneider Electric is advancing its energy technology ambitions through the integration of electrification, automation, and digital intelligence.
These solutions are deployed across buildings, data centres, industrial applications, and power grids to unlock the full value of energy while ensuring efficiency and sustainability.
This year’s summit comes at a pivotal moment for the Middle East and Africa, as the region experiences rapid growth driven by national visions, giga-projects, and the expansion of AI, data centres, and digital infrastructure.
With global electricity demand forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.6 per cent between 2026 and 2030, and AI workloads projected to drive a 160 per cent increase in data centre power demand, the need for intelligent and sustainable energy solutions has never been more urgent.
“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 projected to grow by an additional 3–4 per cent annually, reaching nearly 50 per cent growth by 2035 — driven by rising cooling, desalination, and urbanisation demands — the region is at an inflection point,” said Walid Sheta, Zone President, Middle East and Africa, Schneider Electric.
“Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa underscores our dedication to accelerating energy technology innovation and powering energy intelligence throughout the region. This edition will highlight our role as a trusted energy technology partner guiding the region’s next phase of transformation,” he added.
Abu Dhabi’s emergence as a regional hub for energy transition, digital infrastructure, and innovation makes it a fitting host for the summit.
The UAE’s net-zero ambitions and significant investments in power and digital infrastructure reflect both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity to embed energy intelligence into the region’s next wave of growth.
The summit will also showcase regional benchmarks from more than 80 countries. These include the 100 per cent elimination of SF6 and carbon footprint reductions for fruit producers in South Africa, as well as performance improvements enabled by EcoStruxure Power & Grid for Senegal’s National Electricity Company, which reduced recovery times to three minutes from three hours.
Blending high-impact programming with the latest product launches, the event will feature a CEO Forum in partnership with Forbes Middle East, keynote and thought leadership sessions with industry executives and strategic partners including Bain & Company, an Innovation Hub experience with live demonstrations, and stakeholder recognition awards across growth, efficiency, innovation, and sustainability categories.
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