carbon future

UAE energy chief says data center boom assures oil’s dominance

Al Jaber said at the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week roughly $4 trillion of global investment needed in grids and data center infrastructure

Emirates News Agency

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan opened Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week with heads of state from around the world

By

Jonathan H. Ferziger

January 13, 2026

The UAE’s top energy executive told the audience at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week that an expected 500% increase in power demand from data centers by 2040 – propelled by artificial intelligence – means that hydrocarbons will remain the Earth’s...