AIdataNewsGlobal General: ADNOC Gas and ADNOC Upstream recognized in Cognite AI Impact Awards during Abu Dhabi stop of 2026 Impact World Tour

The Abu Dhabi stop of Cognite’s 2026 Impact World Tour featured regional award recognition for ADNOC Gas and ADNOC Upstream. The session gathered nearly 200 senior leaders from energy, gas and petrochemical organizations across the region around a shared agenda: production optimization, digital twins, and operational efficiency. It also connected enterprise-scale data intelligence work with real-time production workflows.

At-a-glance data points

Item	Value
Award context	AI Impact Awards
Recognized organizations	ADNOC Gas and ADNOC Upstream
Event location	Abu Dhabi
Attendance descriptor	nearly 200 senior leaders
Tour year	2026 Impact World Tour

Program scope and selection framing

As described by Cognite, the AI Impact Awards Program focuses on measurable progress in AI-driven innovation and operational excellence. It also examines use of the Cognite Industrial AI and Data Platform in asset-heavy operations, with the stated direction of making those operations safer, more sustainable, and profitable. Regional recognition is disclosed through World Tour events rather than as a separate ceremony.

EMEA winners named in the current round

This year’s winners in EMEA were disclosed in two named categories:

• For ADNOC Gas, the Impact Award for Enterprise Scale highlighted the continued development and scaling of its Industrial Data Intelligence (IDI) platform. The described effect is stronger access to contextualized operational data, supporting deployment of digital and AI-enabled solutions.
• For ADNOC Upstream, the Impact Award for Innovation in Production Optimization covered the AiPSO project. The project turns multi-source operational signals into a single, contextualized data foundation, then supports real-time optimization of production workflows and resource efficiency.

Tour stops before and after Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi was not the opening venue. Earlier stops in Houston, Oslo, Mumbai, and Tokyo were completed before the regional recognition, while the schedule still extends through the end of the year.

Broader honoree list

ADNOC Gas and ADNOC Upstream join a group of past honorees. The group includes partners Microsoft, Radix, and Rockwell Automation, and customers Aker BP, Cosmo Energy, International Paper, SLB, and others.

Speaker perspectives: adoption paths and digital-twin operations

• Borouge International – Ghalib Al Afifi, Senior Vice President, Global AI & Digital, addressed the scaling of AI across a global petrochemicals footprint. His account focused on strategic partnerships and workforce capability building.
• ADNOC Offshore – Dr. Slahadin Al Ashair, Project Manager, Intelligent Operations Centre, discussed a Digital Factory environment in which Cognite supports more than 11 AI-enabled digital twins. The operating model is described through a Reality-Based Prescriptive Analytics (RB-PdsM) approach he helped pioneer.

UAE entity and Middle East investment context

Structural regional support was formalized when, Last year, Cognite incorporated a dedicated UAE entity. That entity is described as a local hub for expertise, technology and customer support. The step indicates Cognite’s commitment to a growing customer base across the Middle East as the UAE positions itself as a global leader in applied AI.

FAQ on the Abu Dhabi awards announcement

Which organizations were recognized?

ADNOC Gas and ADNOC Upstream were recognized in the regional AI Impact Awards presentation held in Abu Dhabi.

Which awards correspond to each recipient?

ADNOC Gas was named for the Impact Award for Enterprise Scale. ADNOC Upstream was named for the Impact Award for Innovation in Production Optimization for its AiPSO project.

What is the award program’s focus?

Focus areas include AI-driven innovation, operational excellence, and use of the Cognite Industrial AI and Data Platform to support safer, more sustainable, and more profitable asset-heavy operations.

Which tour cities have appeared in the itinerary?

• Houston
• Oslo
• Mumbai
• Tokyo
• Abu Dhabi as the latest stop in the 2026 Impact World Tour

Which named projects or platforms were mentioned?

The Industrial Data Intelligence (IDI) platform is associated with ADNOC Gas, while the AiPSO project is associated with ADNOC Upstream. ADNOC Offshore also discussed more than 11 AI-enabled digital twins using the Reality-Based Prescriptive Analytics (RB-PdsM) approach.

What does the announcement show about Cognite’s regional footprint?

It points to a continued investment path in the region. Last year, a dedicated UAE entity was incorporated, and the event reflects Cognite’s commitment to customers across the Middle East as the UAE positions itself in applied AI.

Final takeaway: The Abu Dhabi award presentation ties AI Impact Awards recognition, 2026 Impact World Tour scheduling, named data-platform work, digital-twin sessions and the UAE/Middle East footprint into a single industry news summary.