ABU DHABI, 29th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, today released new research showing that 76 percent of energy industry leaders in the Middle East reported increased investment in autonomous technologies over the past 12 months, while 72 percent said such systems were important for operational resilience and uninterrupted production.
The findings were unveiled ahead of the upcoming Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC 2026), which takes place in the UAE capital from 2nd to 5th November 2026 at ADNEC Centre.
Autonomous operations depend on more than automation: they require intelligence that can understand what is happening across the operation, determine the right response and translate insight into action.
Energy industry leaders linked the adoption of autonomous technologies to measurable improvements in operational performance.
Enhanced productivity is the benefit most often reported as already achieved, cited by more than four in 10 (42 percent), followed by improved workforce safety, improved environmental performance, and improved operational resilience and asset reliability.
Devan Pillay, President of Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric, said, “Energy security is rapidly becoming economic security. Organisations do not become resilient simply because they are autonomous. They become resilient when intelligence is connected to execution. When energy, operations and intelligence work as a single system, operators are able to see, decide and act faster.”
He added, “The Middle East has built that capability as a long-term strategy. It gives every other energy region a clear model to follow.”
The study showed continued investment momentum in autonomous technologies, with only 2 percent of organisations reducing their spending on these technologies over the past year. All organisations using autonomous systems, even to a limited extent, said they planned to increase investment over the next 12 months.
It also showed that 72 percent of respondents believed clear regulations had accelerated the adoption of autonomous technologies in their markets.
On where capital goes next, 48 percent of respondents planned to allocate most of their investment in autonomous technologies to new projects over the next 12 months, compared with 23 percent prioritising upgrades to existing facilities. More than a quarter planned to divide their investment roughly equally between the two.
Gaurav Sharma, an independent energy market analyst, said, “Operators across the region are treating autonomy as a long-term investment.”