Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, today concluded its Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa in Abu Dhabi, bringing together more than 2,500 attendees, including government leaders, industry analysts, customers, partners, students, and media, to examine how the convergence of energy, artificial intelligence and industrial software is reshaping the region's future. During the summit, the company also launched its UAE Industrial AI Study, highlighting the country’s growing leadership in industrial AI adoption and confidence among manufacturers.

Held under the theme “Advancing Energy Tech to Power Intelligence and Resilience,” the two-day summit focused on a growing shift in the energy transition: from simply decarbonizing energy supply to building intelligent, connected and resilient systems capable of supporting AI-driven economic growth.

The shift reflects broader trends reshaping the Middle East and Africa, where rapid urbanization, industrial growth and accelerating digitalization are driving new infrastructure demands. Governments and businesses across the region are investing in clean energy, grid modernization, AI, data centers and industrial technologies to strengthen resilience, competitiveness and energy security. As a result, the convergence of energy, software and intelligence is becoming increasingly central to how economies grow and critical infrastructure evolves.

“We are entering an Era of Intelligence in which AI is becoming embedded in the physical economy. AI may be digital, but it runs on electricity and depends on the physical systems beneath it,” said Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric. “As an Energy Technology Partner, we help customers connect energy and operations through data, software, AI and automation, turning intelligence into action to improve performance, resilience and competitiveness. The scale of this shift is especially clear in the Middle East and Africa, where governments and businesses are investing in energy and digital infrastructure to support industrial transformation and long-term growth.”

Along the sidelines of the summit, the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism and Schneider Electric signed an agreement, initiating the launch of the NEST Accelerator Programme, a 12-week initiative targeting high-potential early-stage startups across the Middle East and Africa working in Energy Tech, Industrial Tech, and Enterprise AI — sectors aligned with both Schneider Electric's strategic priorities and the UAE's future economy agenda, that will be delivered through a specialized third-party accelerator under Schneider Electric's supervision. 

UAE Manufacturers Move Faster on Industrial AI

Coinciding with the summit, Schneider Electric released its 2026 Industrial AI in CPG Study: UAE, focused on food and beverage manufacturers. The study found that UAE manufacturers are adopting industrial AI faster than the global average:

• 23% already consider AI a core part of operations, compared with 16.3% globally
• 59% expect AI to have a transformational impact on their organizations by 2030, compared with 42.2% globally
• 38% identify cybersecurity as a top priority as AI deployment expands. 

“Industrial AI is moving from experimentation to deployment. What distinguishes the UAE is not only the pace of adoption, but the confidence manufacturers have in AI's ability to improve productivity, efficiency and resilience,” said Walid Sheta, President for MEA Zone, Schneider Electric. “The next challenge is ensuring those deployments are secure, scalable and capable of delivering measurable business outcomes.” 

Energy, AI and Infrastructure Converge
Throughout the summit, speakers and participants explored the increasingly connected future of energy systems, focusing on four key themes:

• AI-powered energy and industrial operations
• Grid modernization and electrification
• Data centers as critical infrastructure
• Cybersecurity as a foundation for digital resilience

Sessions examined how organizations are using AI to improve operational efficiency, strengthen industrial performance, optimize energy usage and support the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure across the region.

Keynotes and discussions featured Schneider Electric leaders, industry experts, customers and partners exploring software-defined energy systems, industrial intelligence, electrification, AI-ready infrastructure and the workforce capabilities needed to support the next generation of growth.