The Abu Dhabi Energy Exhibition focuses on water

During ADIPEC, the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (2–5 November 2026), entrepreneurs, managers and company representatives from all over the world come together to discuss oil, gas, technology and energy infrastructure. This year, the central theme of the debate is water. Or rather, energy security through water availability. Drawing attention to this synergy is Abdulla Balalaa, a senior official at the Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability. “Every energy decision is a decision about water”, is the principle on which his analysis is based. The risk, according to Balalaa, is continuing to plan energy investments without adequately assessing the water supply required for the plants to operate. The problem particularly affects digital infrastructure such as data centres, which underpin the development of AI and require enormous quantities of water for their cooling systems. According to the report Crosscurrents: Navigating the AI-Water-Energy Nexus, global water consumption by data centres will risefrom 4,500 billion litres in 2025 to 9,320 billion litres in 2030.

Not only that, but the issue also concerns the production of fuels and the processing of critical minerals. The development of renewable energy and hydrogen, as well as the electrification of production processes, is significantly altering the relationship between energy consumption and the availability of water resources.

The United Arab Emirates are addressing these issues with a national water security strategy that looks ahead to 2036 and sets out two objectives: to reduce overall water demand by 21 per cent and to achieve a 95 per cent reuse rate for treated water, which can already be used for a variety of industrial purposes. Furthermore, the UAE’s system comprises around 70 desalination plants. But the crux of the matter, argues Balalaa, lies primarily in the way infrastructure is conceived and financed. Assessments of water availability and exposure to climate risks should therefore be incorporated into the initial stages of energy plant design. The financial scale of the problem is also evident from data from the World Bank. In developing countries, annual expenditure on water stands at around 164.6 billion dollars, but to meet global targets for safe drinking water and sanitation, additional resources of between 131.4 and 140.8 billion dollars per year would be required.

Adipec is one of the world’s most important events for the energy industry. Every November, it brings together the leading players in the oil and gas sector – from international companies to technology and component manufacturers – in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This year’s Italian contingent comprises around 170 companies, ranging from major groups such as Eni, Saipem, Fincantieri and Maire Tecnimont to medium-sized enterprises operating across the various stages of the supply chain.