ADIPEC survey records 85 percent confidence in energy investment

A survey of more than 1,800 senior energy decision-makers found 85 percent view the sector as more attractive to invest in than it was five years ago, according to the ADIPEC Global Energy Report 2026 published by dmg events on 22 October 2026. The Middle East was identified as the region offering the greatest investment opportunity over the next decade, with 72 percent of respondents expecting it to become more important in global energy. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said the global energy system proved more resilient than expected through recent disruption, while 77 percent remain optimistic about the decade ahead.

Investment pace expected to rise#

Almost two-thirds of the decision-makers surveyed expect the pace of capital deployment to increase by more than a fifth over the next five years. The International Energy Agency estimates energy investment at a record USD 3.4 trillion this year, comprising USD 2.2 trillion in clean energy and grids and USD 1.2 trillion in oil, gas and coal. Global demand for energy from all sources is forecast to rise over the next decade, driven by electrification and AI adoption. Around half of oil and gas producers identify Asia Pacific and the Middle East among their most important customer regions over the next five years.

Diversification ranked ahead of self-reliance#

Energy insiders surveyed placed investment in diversified energy sources, renewables and protecting critical infrastructure ahead of domestic self-reliance as energy security priorities. Domestic self-reliance ranked last among the nine security priorities tested in the survey. Respondents attributed the system's resilience to its ability to adjust quickly to shocks, followed by supply continuing to flow and the diversification of energy sources and routes. A third of executives from consuming countries in Asia said the global energy system proved less resilient than expected.

AI identified as demand driver and efficiency tool#

Just 3 percent of respondents expect electricity demand from artificial intelligence to be lower than forecast, with a majority seeing the technology as becoming more influential than innovations in renewable energy over the next decade. AI applications in oil production have moved beyond the pilot phase, with one executive stating in the report that software distributes power on drilling rigs in the exact amount required and stores unused energy for later use, reducing total power consumption by 25 to 30 percent. The findings were published ahead of ADIPEC 2026, scheduled for 2 to 5 November in Abu Dhabi, with 1,800 speakers, 2,250 exhibiting companies and 239,000 attendees expected.