ADIPEC 2026 Opening Overview
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) hosted the opening ceremony of ADIPEC 2026 on 2 November 2026 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The event is the largest edition in its history, expecting 239,000 participants from more than 170 countries, featuring 2,260 exhibitors across 16 halls, 30 country pavilions and over 1,800 speakers delivering more than 380 conference sessions within four days of programming that run through 5 November.
Key Statements from Leadership
H.E. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director & Group CEO, opened the ceremony by stating that the global energy industry must fundamentally rethink how it builds, protects and delivers secure energy. He cited that nearly one billion barrels of crude have been drained from inventories since the Strait of Hormuz disruption and outlined five steps for resilience: (1) expand strategic storage and flexible refining capacity; (2) build infrastructure ahead of demand; (3) shift to intelligent energy systems that anticipate risk; (4) ensure policy, finance and insurance create confidence for capital; and (5) recognise people as the essential element behind every barrel.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, delivered a speech and interview emphasizing that abundant, reliable energy is critical to unlocking the next wave of AI‑driven innovation and economic growth. He highlighted AI’s growing interdependence with energy, noting that AI will both improve energy efficiency and increase overall energy demand. Altman praised the UAE’s forward‑looking AI adoption and cited the ADNOC‑G42‑OpenAI partnership as a model for applying advanced AI to industrial challenges.
Ministerial and CEO Panels
The opening ministerial panel, titled “Energy security is national security: building resilient supply in an uncertain world,” featured UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Dr Ekperikpe Ekpo. Both ministers discussed national strategies to ensure secure, plentiful energy supply and the role of AI in designing more resilient systems.
The CEO panel, “Energy security in a fragmented world: designing systems that can absorb disruption,” brought together Meg O'Neill (CEO, bp), Richard Jackson (President & CEO, Occidental Petroleum) and Markus Krebber (CEO, RWE AG). Jackson described Oxy’s focus on durability, sustainable cash flow and investment in more durable production following recent shocks.
Exhibition and Thematic Zones
The exhibition showcased technologies across the energy value chain, with four specialised zones – AI, Digitalisation, Low Carbon, and Chemicals & Maritime Logistics – hosting companies that address security, operational performance and infrastructure development. Asian participation was the strongest in the event’s history, with China, India, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea represented among the country pavilions.
Outlook
Over the remaining days, ADIPEC will concentrate on converting strategic priorities into concrete investment decisions, partnerships and solutions that strengthen current energy systems while expanding capacity for future demand.