Setting the tone for global energy in 2026, the annual ADIPEC (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference) earned its title as the world’s largest energy conference, welcoming a record-breaking 239,000 attendees from 172 countries. Scotiabank’s Energy franchise delegates participated actively in the high-profile event, which delivered US$46 billion in 35,000 cross-sector deals.1
“ADIPEC is a significant bellwether for the global energy industry, since it brings together NOCs, IOCs, service providers and financiers from across the energy value chain to discuss key trends, issues and opportunities that will shape the future of global energy,” observed Moncef Attia, Managing Director and Head, Energy U.S. and International, with Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets. “It enables important strategic discourse, partnerships and deal flow among the industry’s major stakeholders.”
Noting that ADIPEC 2025, held in Abu Dhabi from November 3-5, 2025, hailed the theme of ‘Energy, Intelligence, Impact,’ Attia echoed the calls by conference speakers to pursue energy addition, by adding secure, diversified and lower-carbon supply, while harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and investment to deliver real-world progress.
Based on his in-depth meetings with clients and industry leaders, Attia outlined several major currents that were top of mind among delegates: “There was much discussion of AI and power demand, since worldwide data centre growth is driving electricity load, and there is a recognition that natural gas remains critical for reliability of crucial technology and industry innovation. This suggests the longevity of oil and gas, and that the industry is now doubling down on exploration to sustain supply for decades to come. We also see increased cross-regional interest and activity, as Middle Eastern NOCs eye U.S. gas and LNG assets, and U.S. players pursue Middle Eastern oil and unconventional resources.”
Observing that industry progress depends on close cooperation among all parties – including industry leaders, policymakers, investors, technology and financial partners – Attia emphasized the need for financial institutions to provide far-sighted guidance, advice and solutions to support both client growth and risk management strategies, amid ever-present commodity price, interest rate and financial market uncertainty.
He noted that Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets’ Energy franchise is well-positioned to satisfy these demands since they provide comprehensive advisory and financing solutions across the energy value chain. They leverage a global M&A and A&D platform with deep cross-border expertise to serve majors, international oil companies, and leading independents, with a strong focus on the Americas and EMEA. This team also combines technical insight from industry-leading engineers and geoscientists with top tier banking capabilities, delivering tailored solutions in upstream, midstream, downstream, and LNG.
Attia concluded that, “In light of global energy demand continuing to rise by more than 2% per year, ADIPEC really highlighted the enthusiasm among industry participants to build relationships and work together to address crucial demand, security, affordability and sustainability of energy supply. We look forward to continuing this dialogue at the 54th Annual Scotiabank Global Energy Conference in Miami, February 25-26, 2026.”
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1ADNOC. (2025, November 6). From energy to intelligence to impact: ADIPEC 2025 sets bold agenda for the future of global energy and delivers US $46bn in cross-sector deals.
