Second day of WETEX 2026 features 26 seminars exploring AI-driven sustainability across energy, water and environmental sectors

The second day of the 28th edition of the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) featured 26 specialised seminars and seminars exploring the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation in advancing sustainability across the energy, water and environment sectors and other related fields. Organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the exhibition is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Main seminars

The session titled ‘Building Grid Resilience in an Uncertain World: Leveraging Remote Sensing, IoT and AI for Safer, More Reliable Power Networks’ examined rising demand, supply-chain pressures and cybersecurity threats. Andy Warner, Global Service Segment Leader for Utilities at Hitachi Energy, presented HMAX Energy, the company’s solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI), combining sensors, thermal imaging, AI-driven risk-based maintenance and remote support to prevent failures, improve reliability and extend asset life.

“Now, AI is giving us new opportunities. So, one of the latest things we brought in is a system that uses AI to monitor feeds from cameras. And you can set up thermal imaging cameras and ordinary video cameras to monitor your site and your substation. And then AI looks at the feed from those cameras and works out what’s wrong with the site when looking at it. So, it gives you visual inspections you would normally do once a year, sending an engineer there with a thermal imaging camera to inspect. This way, you can do it continuously with AI monitoring. And then you would spot problems straight away,” said Warner.

The session titled ‘Optimising Power Plant Performance for the Future: Digitalisation, Flexibility and Renewable Energy Integration’, brought together Andreas Siebert, Gas Turbine Technical Expert, and Majdal Shahin, Digitalisation Consultant, both at Siemens Energy, to discuss gas turbine upgrades, hybrid gas-battery systems and hydrogen blending to enable the flexible integration of renewable energy. The session also explored the role of digital twins in detecting performance losses and optimising plant start-up operations, helping to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and costs while improving grid stability and reliability.

The ‘The Impact of AI on the Future of Energy and Sustainability’ session examined AI’s potential to analyse energy data, improve operational efficiency and asset reliability, and support clean energy planning and emissions reduction. It also looked at growing electricity demand, data quality and cybersecurity challenges, highlighting the importance of governance and cross-sector collaboration for responsible, sustainable AI deployment.

Renewables and Sustainability

The ‘Human-Centric Cities, Indoor Air Quality & Beyond Workplace Wellness’ panel discussion examined how air quality and thermal comfort affect the health and productivity of building occupants, highlighting the importance of monitoring carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter (PM2.5). The session was moderated by Nour Mezher, Senior Manager of Strategy and Programme at Frontier25, and featured Vitalii Matiunin, co-founder and CEO of Airvoice, Abdullatif Albitawi, Director of the Emirates Green Building Council, Dr Hassan Ali, Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham Dubai, and Sabine Ghosn, Environmental Sustainability Manage at Enova.

Panellists also discussed the role of standards and certifications in promoting wellbeing, alongside continuous monitoring, filtration and smart ventilation to improve existing building performance while balancing energy efficiency and operating costs.

Water seminars

The ‘NSF: Your Products’ Passport to Global Markets’ session, presented by Ahmad Onnab, Senior Manager for the MENA region at NSF Middle East, examined how NSF standards, testing and certification protect drinking water from source to tap while facilitating access to international markets. The session covered pipes, fittings, valves, filtration systems and treatment chemicals, highlighting NSF/ANSI standards 60, 61 and 14, their ongoing development to address contaminants such as lead and PFAS, and collaboration with regulators.

Supplier Relationship Management seminars

The panel discussions and interactive seminars on supplier relationship management helped to strengthen DEWA’s relationships with its suppliers while enhancing partnerships and advancing efforts to promote sustainability and the circular economy.