Digital Dawn for the Middle East’s Oil Giants

ADNOC’s AI rollout speeds up decisions and signals a growing digital shift in regional oil operations

21 Jan 2026

Artificial intelligence is moving from pilot projects to day-to-day operations in parts of the Middle East’s oil and gas sector, beginning to influence how upstream production is managed. Leading producers are turning to advanced data tools to speed decision-making and improve efficiency, a shift driven by the scale and complexity of modern oil fields.

A prominent example is the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s rollout of an AI-driven production optimization platform across its upstream assets. Developed with SLB and the industrial data firm Cognite, the system reflects a broader reassessment of how digital technology can support production growth, alongside traditional investments in drilling and infrastructure.

For years, upstream operations generated large volumes of data that were difficult to analyze in real time or connect across systems. Engineers often relied on fragmented information, which could delay the identification of equipment issues or subtle performance declines. ADNOC’s platform, known as AiPSO, integrates live data from wells and facilities, allowing engineers to analyze conditions more holistically and spot emerging problems earlier.

According to company statements, the approach has sharply reduced the time between identifying an issue and taking corrective action, in some cases from days to minutes. In large, technically complex fields, that speed can help stabilize output, reduce costs and limit disruptions. ADNOC executives have described the system as a way to embed faster, clearer decision-making into routine operations rather than treating digital tools as standalone experiments.

Interest in similar technologies is growing across the region, though large-scale AI deployments in upstream production remain limited. Analysts said ADNOC’s experience is being closely watched by other national and international oil companies weighing their own digital strategies.

SLB has said its technology is intended to assist engineers, not replace them, by translating complex data into actionable insights while leaving final decisions with human operators. Cognite’s role focuses on ensuring that data from multiple legacy and modern systems can be shared reliably, a prerequisite for scaling digital tools across large asset portfolios.

Obstacles persist, including integrating older equipment, building confidence in AI-generated recommendations and addressing data security concerns. Still, as tools mature and adoption widens, faster analysis and more responsive operations are likely to play an increasingly visible role in shaping the region’s upstream oil production in the years ahead.