The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) today marked the opening day of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026 with the launch of an immersive stand experience that brings Abu Dhabi’s integrated energy and water vision to life. As Principal Partner of ADSW 2026, the Department is demonstrating how secure, resilient and efficient energy and water services are being delivered through system-level regulation, forward-looking policy, and the use of digital innovation and data-driven decision-making.
On the first day of the ADSW Summit 2026, H.E. Dr. Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, delivered the Welcome Address. In his remarks, he emphasised the importance of integrated power and water systems that deliver resilience, affordability and sustainability, noting that the global energy transition must be judged by execution and real-world performance. His Excellency also delivered the Opening Address at the Youth 4 Sustainability Forum, reinforcing the Department’s commitment to empowering young leaders as accountable partners in delivering the energy transition.
The Department announced a number of initiatives as part of its participation at ADSW 2026, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with “Silal”, the leading Abu Dhabi-based agri-tech company, to enhance cooperation in developing sustainable energy and water management practices within the agricultural sector in Abu Dhabi. The mutual collaboration aims to explore smart irrigation solutions, renewable energy resources and AI-powered agricultural technologies.
Showcased on the Department of Energy’s interactive stand was its latest sustainable mobility project “Project Barq”. In collaboration with TAQA Distribution, the initiative is designed to operate an ultra-fast, highly reliable network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, supporting the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s move to establish sustainable mobility backed by advanced infrastructure, contributing to environmental sustainability, improved quality of life and enhanced experience for customers.
The DoE stand is structured around eight interactive zones, designed as a single journey that presents Abu Dhabi’s energy and water ecosystem as one integrated system. Together, the eight zones illustrate how policy, planning, technology and implementation are aligned to deliver reliability, efficiency and sustainability in practice.
The first zone presents a water and energy timeline, charting Abu Dhabi’s journey from early capacity-building to today’s diversified, efficient and digitally enabled system. This historical perspective sets the context for the second zone, which showcases AD.WE, the world’s first AI-powered integrated energy and water management platform, bringing together live and historical data to support smarter planning, real-time optimisation and improved system performance.
The third zone focuses on Abu Dhabi’s strategic framework, explaining how energy security, economic growth and climate ambition are aligned within one coherent roadmap that balances supply-side transformation with demand-side efficiency and consumer protection. Followed by the fourth innovation zone, which showcases Barq, a future-ready electric vehicle charging infrastructure solution that supports cleaner mobility while maintaining grid reliability and affordability.
The fifth zone showcases Abu Dhabi Sustainable Projects, presenting tangible initiatives that enhance water-use efficiency, support climate-resilient growth and protect natural resources, demonstrating how strategy is translated into real-world delivery. The sixth zone introduces Mayed, the Department’s in-house AI agent, illustrating how artificial intelligence is being used to support engagement, awareness and provide information enabling smarter, faster, data-driven decision making across the energy and water ecosystem.
Demand-side management is addressed in the seventh zone, highlighting how efficiency, behavioural change and digital tools help reduce peak demand, lower emissions and keep services affordable for consumers. The journey concludes in the eighth zone, dedicated to policies and regulations, which explains how transparent, predictable and performance-oriented frameworks enable delivery at scale, protect consumers and provide confidence for investors and technology partners.
Through its participation at ADSW, the Department of Energy reaffirms Abu Dhabi’s position as a practical, collaborative partner in advancing sustainable energy and water systems that are built to perform today and endure for the future.