Abu Dhabi hosted the “ENACT” council, organized by ADNOC, Masdar, and XRG, bringing together over 100 global leaders from the energy, technology, investment, and government sectors. The focus was on leveraging the synergy between energy and artificial intelligence as dual engines to accelerate global growth.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and CEO of ADNOC and its group of companies, chaired the ENACT council to explore innovative solutions for ensuring safe and sustainable energy supplies. This initiative aims to provide reliable energy sources to support the growth of AI data centers and cater to the increasing needs of the global population.
The discussions revolved around addressing the rising energy demand amidst market dynamics and the urgent need for large-scale infrastructure development through integrated methodologies. Participants also examined the skills and regulatory frameworks necessary to attract investments and mitigate funding risks for data center infrastructure, while addressing the investment needs of both the energy and AI sectors.
The ENACT council serves as a high-level intellectual forum across multiple sectors. Insights from this session indicated that electricity demand from data centers is expected to quadruple by 2040, escalating from 105 to 450 gigawatts.
During the next 15 years, an estimated 1.5 billion individuals will migrate to urban areas, utilizing an additional 2 billion electrically powered air conditioners. Many will also experience air travel for the first time, with the global airline fleet projected to double from 25,000 to 50,000 aircraft. The council’s key findings will be published in due course.
Dr. Al Jaber emphasized, “In alignment with our leadership’s vision to foster dialogue, discussion, and collaboration for practical solutions that contribute to global advancement, we are pleased to host this council uniting leaders from vital sectors, including energy, AI, finance, and investment.”
He added, “Given the global developments, it is clear that energy and AI are the twin drivers capable of propelling economic and social growth.”
Furthermore, he stated, “Data centers are energy-intensive and compete for resources with other sectors experiencing increased demand. To meet this growth, massive investments are essential to satisfy the enormous need, whether from data centers or other energy-intensive industries. Such investments can only be realized through collaboration among the energy, technology, investment sectors, and governments.”
He also noted, “The world needs to adopt an integrated approach to various energy sources while relying on dependable resources for base load energy. Infrastructure must be updated and expanded to meet the future economy’s electricity needs. Regulatory frameworks that stimulate investment flows are also necessary. Additionally, we need to invest in training and development to leverage AI solutions and tools. This is why we’ve initiated the ENACT council to address the precise challenges of this phase, which requires cross-sectoral and cross-border collaborative solutions.”
Agreements
Additionally, ADNOC, Masdar, XRG, and Microsoft announced a significant strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI throughout the ADNOC value chain, coinciding with providing necessary energy solutions to support Microsoft’s global AI and data center expansion. This announcement was made during the ENACT council.
Building on their established partnership, this agreement enables Masdar and XRG to develop sustainable energy projects and infrastructure to support Microsoft’s growth in AI and data centers.
ADNOC and Microsoft will collaborate to develop and deploy AI agents to enhance operational autonomy and efficiency.
Dr. Al Jaber remarked, “In line with the vision and directives of our leadership, we are committed to taking a leading role in transformative efforts in the energy sector by leveraging advanced technologies, particularly AI, which continues to reshape value creation mechanisms across various sectors. As part of these efforts, ADNOC, Masdar, and XRG are integrating AI tools throughout their operations while developing energy systems that will support the functioning of AI data center solutions. Through our partnership with Microsoft, we are unlocking new avenues to support the future of AI, enhance performance, and ensure our operations are future-ready.”
Earlier, in November 2023, ADNOC became the first energy company to utilize Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, across its operations. Since then, more than 40,000 employees have trained on it, achieving usage rates exceeding 90%, resulting in productivity savings of over 70,000 hours monthly.
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, commented, “No single company or sector can meet the needs of this moment alone. Accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, safer, and inclusive energy sector requires close collaboration between governments, energy suppliers, technology companies, and innovators everywhere.”
Partnership Expansion
Additionally, ADNOC and Jeko Robotics announced the expansion of their strategic partnership by signing three new agreements aimed at exploring opportunities to utilize robotics and AI solutions across ADNOC’s operations while training Emirati talent in future-ready skills.