Schneider Electric to host Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa in Abu Dhabi

Updated 3/2/2026 9:49:00 AM

Arab Finance: The second edition of the Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa will be held in Abu Dhabi from April 28th to 29th, Schneider Electric announced.

The summit is set to gather global energy and technology leaders as well as government officials to advance the regional shift towards energy intelligence.

Schneider Electric is integrating electrification, automation, and digital intelligence deployed across buildings, data centers, industrial applications, and power grids, aiming to maximize energy value while advancing efficiency and sustainability.

This year’s summit comes amid rapid regional growth fueled by national development visions, giga-projects, and the accelerating adoption of AI-driven technologies and digital infrastructure.

With global electricity demand projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.6% between 2026 and 2030, and AI workloads expected to drive a 160% surge in data center power demand, the need for intelligent and sustainable energy solutions is becoming more critical.

Walid Sheta, Zone President, Middle East and Africa, Schneider Electric, said: “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 on course to grow at an incremental 3-4% every year to register a whopping 50% by 2035 – driven by surging cooling, desalination, and urbanization demands, the region is at an inflection point.”

He added: “This edition will emphasize our emergence as the trusted energy technology partner guiding the region’s next phase of transformation."

Meanwhile, Amel Chadli, President, Gulf Cluster at Schneider Electric, commented: “As one of the most local of global companies, Schneider Electric is empowering customers to move beyond electrification and implement AI?driven, software?defined energy systems that deliver efficiency, resilience and sustainability at national scale.”

Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa will showcase real-world applications across key sectors, including utilities, data centers, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and critical infrastructure, underlining how intelligent energy management drives operational excellence, resilience, and sustainability across the region's most vital projects.