The World Future Energy Summit 2026, hosted by Masdar and part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, will address key economic and geopolitical challenges facing the rapidly expanding solar-energy industry.
Taking place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from January 13th–15th, the Summit’s Solar and Clean Energy Conference and Exhibition will explore groundbreaking technologies and strategies, convening thought leaders, policymakers and innovators to refine solar energy management across the West Asia and North Africa (WANA).
In 2024, global solar power installations soared to 597 gigawatts, representing a 33 per cent surge over the previous year. This has pushed global capacity to more than 2 terawatts (TW), according to SolarPower Europe’s latest Global Market Outlook. The report forecasts that solar installations could reach a remarkable 1 TW annually by 2030, making it the strongest asset globally in the battle against climate change.
The solar energy sector is also expanding rapidly across the WANA region, with installed capacity rising by 23 per cent in 2023 to reach 32 gigawatts peak (GWp). According to the 2025 MESIA Solar Outlook Report, that figure is expected to surpass 180 GWp by 2030, driven by initiatives like the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, which aim to aim to produce 75 per cent of energy requirements from clean sources by 2050 and 30 per cent by 2030, respectively.
Speaking at the conference on monetising stranded renewables into revenue streams is Nicolás Bohrer, Puroil’s Managing Director. His session will explore how dynamic, switchable off-takers, from bitcoin miners to adaptable data centres could turn surplus electrons into steady revenue. “As solar capacity keeps soaring, the real challenge is no longer generation, but integration. The region has a unique opportunity to demonstrate how abundant solar production can be aligned with real-time demand while preserving system reliability at scale,” said Bohrer. “With strong institutions and a clear appetite for innovation, WANA is well positioned to act as a proving ground for the next phase of renewable integration. By prioritising adaptability and system balance alongside continued expansion, the region can help define how solar energy is integrated into modern power systems worldwide. The question is no longer whether solar can scale, but how intelligently energy systems adapt when it does,” he added.
A Platform for Technical Innovation
To meet such ambitious targets, companies in the region must adopt digital, scalable solutions that manage increasingly complex portfolios, ensure operational efficiency and help unlock the industry’s vast potential to power sustainable development.
The Summit will examine current integration and deployment barriers, including solar power’s intermittent nature, which puts pressure on power grids, leading to voltage fluctuations, system imbalances and delays in connecting new projects. As grid expansion can be slow and costly, some countries struggle to add all the solar power projects in development and are now turning to ambitious solutions such as large-scale energy storage, decentralisation, smart grids and AI-driven systems to maintain stability and efficiency.
The Summit will also explore how nations are rethinking the way they trade and distribute power across borders. Regional interconnections are becoming vital to ensure steady flows of renewable energy, as seen in Spain’s efforts to strengthen links with France and the wider European system in the wake of its devastating power outage in April.
Attendees can also learn how complex global supply chains and geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and China, are driving new efforts to localise solar manufacturing. The creation of a more resilient, standardised global system for clean energy trade is another key topic on the conference agenda.
Disclaimer – The details expressed in this post are from the companies responsible for sending this post for publication. This website doesn’t endorse the details published here. Readers are urged to use their own discretion while making a decision about using this information in any way. There has been no monetary benefit to the Publisher/Editor/Website Owner for publishing this post and the Website Owner takes no responsibility for the impacts of using this information in any way.