Record Submissions and Growth

The ADIPEC 2026 Technical Conferences, hosted by ADNOC and organised jointly by SPE and dmg events, attracted a combined 7,261 paper submissions, a record total and an increase of 196 submissions compared with 2025. This surge demonstrates the global technical community’s response to rising energy demand, heightened energy‑security pressures, and rapid technological change.

SPE Programme Highlights

  • AI & Digital Transformation emerged as the largest SPE category with 1,296 submissions, representing an 11.6% year‑on‑year increase.
  • Submissions in Drilling grew by 112 papers, while Unconventional Resources rose 14%, indicating heightened focus on near‑term supply resilience.
  • Integrated Field Development and Energy Addition/Low‑Carbon categories contracted by 19.4% and 35.1%, respectively, reflecting a shift toward immediate supply‑delivery topics.

Downstream Technical Conference Highlights

The Downstream Technical Conference recorded its highest‑ever intake with 977 papers, a 24.9% increase over 2025. The fastest‑growing downstream theme was Digital Transformation & Advanced Manufacturing, which climbed 58.6% to 211 papers, becoming the programme’s top category. A new category, Techno‑Economic Design & Strategic Decision‑Making, debuted with 85 submissions, signalling strong interest in integrating engineering excellence with commercial and strategic analysis. Additionally, the Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency & Recycling theme grew 52.5% to 61 papers, showing continued technical attention to sustainability alongside supply‑side priorities.

Geographic Participation

The top five SPE submitting countries were the UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, China, and the USA, underscoring the truly global reach of the conferences.

Event Scale and Schedule

ADIPEC 2026 will be held in Abu Dhabi from 2–5 November 2026, expecting more than 239,000 attendees, 1,800 speakers, 16,500 delegates, and 2,250 exhibiting companies. The exhibition will span 13 programmes, feature 380+ sessions, occupy 17 halls, include 30 country pavilions, and host four specialised zones.

Statements from Organisers

Haitham Al Jenaibi, EVP Development & Production (Gas), ADNOC Upstream and ADIPEC 2026 Technical Conference Chairman, said the record submissions “reflect the depth of innovation across our industry” and reaffirm ADIPEC’s role as a leading technical platform. Thomas Löffler, Senior Vice President – ADIPEC, dmg events, added that the submissions “send a clear signal: AI has moved from theory to infrastructure” and that the range and complexity of papers confirm the community’s work in embedding AI solutions across operations.

About ADNOC and ADIPEC

ADNOC is a diversified energy and petrochemicals group wholly owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, tasked with maximising the value of the Emirate’s hydrocarbon reserves to support UAE economic growth and diversification. ADIPEC, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, serves as the premier global platform where industry leaders, capital, and capability converge to strengthen energy‑system resilience and enable sustained long‑term growth.