ADSW Summit 2025 to accelerate global sustainable development. (Image source: ADSW)

With an aim to leverage a US$10 trillion economic potential, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2025 will bring together 13 heads of state and more than 140 ministers, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE 

With this year's theme being 'The Nexus of Next. Supercharging Sustainable Progress', the role of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence will drive conversations at the ADSW Summit to be held from 14-15 January. 

Heads of state participating in the ADSW Summit include Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan; Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan; William Ruto, President of Kenya; Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria; Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda; Wavel Ramkalawan​, President of Seychelles; Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda; Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan; Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania; Petteri Orpo Prime Minister of Finland; Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, and Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

"Under the theme, ‘The Nexus of Next: Supercharging Sustainable Progress’, ADSW 2025 invites you to discover the unprecedented socioeconomic opportunities that lie on the horizon and stand at the Nexus of Next. ADSW is not just a platform, but a bold call to action to explore and learn how interconnected systems are driving a new era of supercharged progress, unlocking endless possibilities to help build a better tomorrow for all,” said Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar.

"ADSW Summit 2025 comes at a pivotal moment for accelerating global sustainable development, with technological advances providing unprecedented opportunities for social, environmental and economic progress. The ADSW Summit will serve as a foundational platform to drive the systemic change needed to take advantage of those opportunities, amplifying diverse voices to catalyze change through connection and accelerating the transformation to a more sustainable future. By bringing together leaders in policy, business and technology, ADSW Summit 2025 will unite the global community to deliver interconnected solutions for energy, economies, and the environment," said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar.

PETAN’s SAIPEC 2025 returns to Lagos, spotlighting Africa’s energy projects, local content, and regional collaborations across 50+ countries. (Image source: SAIPEC)

The Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC), hosted by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), will be held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos from 11-13 February 2025

Celebrating its 9th edition, SAIPEC 2025 is strategically supported by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and over 30 national oil companies and regulatory bodies from across Sub-Saharan Africa.

This prestigious event will spotlight multi-billion-dollar project opportunities in Africa and serve as a vital platform for advancing the continent’s energy, oil, and gas ambitions. Maintaining its focus on local content, the conference expects over 6,000 participants, including representatives from National and International Oil Companies, government agencies, regulators, and service providers from more than 50 countries.

Driving energy transformation

The three-day agenda promises impactful discussions, featuring keynote speeches from industry leaders, country showcases, and themes such as driving Africa’s energy future and economic growth plans. SAIPEC’s African Content Series, hosted by the NCDMB for the 5th year, will explore strategies for enhancing regional collaboration. Additional sessions will address critical topics like African gas strategies, financing opportunities, and Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion initiatives, emphasising the importance of inclusive progress in Africa’s energy sector.

Returning this year is the 'SAIPEC Future Generations Conference', designed to inspire young African energy professionals, along with the SAIPEC Technical sessions and the distinguished SAIPEC Awards, recognising innovations and accomplishments in the industry. Networking will be a key feature, offering attendees exclusive receptions, partnership-building events, and PETAN’s signature golf day.

The international exhibition, a core component of SAIPEC, will showcase cutting-edge technology, innovations, and services spanning the energy value chain. Global exhibitors will highlight advancements in drilling, exploration, digital solutions, and sustainability, providing attendees with opportunities to connect directly with leading suppliers, service providers, and technology developers shaping Africa’s energy future.

This year is particularly significant for host PETAN, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of excellence in Africa’s oil and gas sector. Ibe Chubby Ibe, PETAN/SAIPEC Conference Chair, remarked, “SAIPEC 2025 stands as a testament to our commitment to driving Africa’s energy transformation, creating sustainable growth, and fostering inclusive partnerships across the continent. This year’s program is our most ambitious yet, showcasing innovative strategies, regional collaborations, and groundbreaking advancements in Africa’s oil and gas sector. We are excited to bring together industry leaders, experts and future visionaries to shape a prosperous and energy-secure future for Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The comprehensive event programme is now available for download on the SAIPEC website, offering attendees an in-depth look at the schedule to prepare for this landmark 9th edition of Africa’s premier energy conference.

The panel emphasised South-South collaboration. (Image source: Alain Charles Publishing)

During a panel session at ADIPEC 2024, industry stakeholders discussed ways to increase collaboration between countries in the global South and the global North

The discussion focused on energy transitions and the role of OPEC in ensuring energy access. Key points included the need for diverse energy sources, with OPEC advocating for all forms of energy, not just renewables. The conversation highlighted energy inequalities, such as Heathrow Airport consuming more energy than Sierra Leone.

The Paris Agreement was emphasised as a reduction of emissions, not a phase-out of fossil fuels. The East Africa pipeline and Uganda's oil projects faced financing challenges but are progressing.

The importance of South-South cooperation and regional collaboration in energy projects was underscored, with examples from Uganda, Cyprus, and Sierra Leone.

His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, explained why fossil fuels will continue to play an important role in the global South.

“We talk about the importance of another factor, which is urbanisation. By 2030 which is less than six years from today, we're going to have over 582 million people, nearly 600 million people, moving into new cities all around the world, again in non OECD developing parts of the world,” he said.

“The Paris Agreement, ladies and gentlemen, is about reduction of emissions. It's not about phasing out or phasing down or keeping the oil under the ground. It's about reducing emissions that includes technology, that includes investing in renewables, investing in all sources of energy.”

“We have the OPEC Fund for International Development, an agency, a sister agency, based in Vienna, that is very active in Africa and other parts of the world in developing and promoting socio economic development projects, energy projects as well as renewable energy projects.”

“We also have the charter of cooperation, which we signed in 2019 which is a platform that is open for oil producers to participate in, whether it's exchange of technologies, exchange of experiences between various member countries and non OPEC producers who are not members of OPEC that can participate in this platform to gain access to the best practices being implemented in our member countries.”

Growing South-South collaboration

Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa, said, “The East African crude oil pipeline was a negotiated project, and it was a win-win. My president wanted all the oil refined in Uganda, but because we didn't have money to do it by ourselves, we collaborated with investors and we let some of the crude leave the country, while some is refined, which will come with industrialisation.”

Deputy Minister of Energy for Sierra Leone Edmond Nonie, said, “We have big clients in the mining sector who have the capital to pay and have the willingness to pay for lower priced electricity from the grid. So we are embarking on a campaign to connect these mining companies, and once we have these transmission lines out to these companies, we can then do the further, last mile connection to our communities.”

Meanwhile, Cyprus is collaborating with Egypt for energy transmission.

The country’s Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, George Papanastasiou, said, “The conversation with my colleagues in Egypt is to utilise the [Egyptian] infrastructure [for export]. Secondly, there are pipelines that cross the eastern Mediterranean, which reach Egypt. And the infrastructure in Egypt, there are two LNG terminals, liquefaction plants in Egypt, which are under-utilised.

“This is possibly the destination in order to reach the markets. Of course, there is the domestic market of Egypt as well, which is very important. We all know that power generation in this country is mostly coming from natural gas. Cyprus is very well positioned, and at the right time in order to support and provide the natural gas and use the infrastructure in order to reach the international markets.”

Young ADIPEC’s Experiential & Edutainment Hub drew students to STEM-focused zones. (Image source: ADIPEC)

ADIPEC 2024 has witnessed an increased participation of young voices around the world, bridging the generational gap to accelerate progress in the global energy transition

Young attendees have brought fresh perspectives to discussions on the future of energy, underscoring ADIPEC’s mission to foster a secure, equitable, and sustainable energy future shaped by voices from across the globe.

The ADIPEC Youth Council, now in its second year, gave university students the chance to join in cross-generational conversations with industry leaders on critical energy issues. Students from institutions like Abu Dhabi Polytechnic (UAE), University of Dar A Salaam (Tanzania), Federal University of Technology Minna (Nigeria), University of Sharjah (UAE), and Abu Dhabi University (UAE) shared their aspirations and innovative ideas for transforming the energy sector.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and supported by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the 12th Young ADIPEC programme aims to foster an inclusive, collaborative environment. Students explored real-world opportunities in Youth Talk sessions such as 'Discover Pathways in the Energy Industry', where seasoned professionals outlined the career possibilities open to young visionaries ready to contribute to the energy transition.

Speaking during the session, Rashed Alneyadi, growth and new energies manager at Mubadala Energy emphasised the vital role of emerging talent in driving sustainable progress. He said, “When I was younger, I wanted to be in an industry that enabled me to make an impact. When I thought about it, everything requires energy, from your phone, your house, and even you need energy. In the energy sector, everyone can make an impact. More diversity has been introduced to our industry and more women and men are working hand by hand to help this industry prosper and grow.”

Other popular Youth Talks included ‘Shaping the Future of Leadership in Energy’, where students explored their leadership potential and learned essential skills for success, and ‘Flow of Transition’, a session focused on personal development and charting a career path in the evolving energy landscape. 

Cross-generational collaboration

Christopher Hudson, president, dmg events, the organisers of ADIPEC, said, “As a powerful platform for cross-generational collaboration, ADIPEC connects current and future leaders, innovators, and engineers, unlocking new pathways for impactful careers in energy. This year, the event’s expanded youth initiatives highlight the industry’s commitment to investing in future talent and amplifying youth voices in shaping the sector’s transformation.”

Young ADIPEC’s Experiential & Edutainment Hub drew hundreds of students to eight STEM-focused zones, including the Technology for a Sustainable Future zone with activities on carbon capture and the Energy Transition Zone, focused on climate action. The 2030 Careers Zone highlighted roles in demand in the coming years, while the Science Zone covered earth sciences, chemistry, and physics.

In the Methane Abatement Challenge, UAE students presented innovative solutions to reduce methane emissions. In the Flaring category, the Methane Mitigators team from Abu Dhabi International PVT School won for their concept to retrofit catalytic combustion technology in existing flares. The Piphexis team from Yas American Academy earned top honors in the Venting category for methane-trapping filters, while the Triple Bond team from Abu Dhabi International PVT School took the Fugitive Emissions category with a detection and prevention system using satellites, drones, and methane-transforming bacteria.