African energy ministers, sovereign wealth fund managers, mining executives, and project financiers are set to convene in Dubai this June for the 28th Africa Energy Forum (AEF), signalling a shift from traditional development-focused discussions to industrial-scale energy planning.
Under the theme “Building Africa’s Industrialised Future,” organisers said the forum marks a decisive departure from discussions centred on household electrification and rural connectivity, emphasizing instead the continent’s growing need for power to fuel industries, data centres, rail corridors, desalination plants, and megacities.
“For decades, progress in African energy was measured in connections,” said Simon Gosling, managing director of EnergyNet, the forum organiser. “Today, as global demand for critical minerals surges and artificial intelligence reshapes supply chains, the question is no longer whether Africa can power homes, but whether it can power industries.”
AEF 2026 will integrate closed-door leadership dialogues, expanded focus on transmission and baseload power, critical minerals and pit-to-port infrastructure, regional fireside discussions, and a dedicated Africa–Middle East stream to accelerate deal-making between the two regions.
The forum will also emphasise the Just Energy Transition, framing decarbonisation in practical terms for Africa. Organisers stress that a “just” transition must protect jobs, safeguard water and food security, and allow countries to pursue diversified energy mixes including gas, renewables, and storage aligned with national industrial ambitions rather than external prescriptions.
Dubai was chosen as the venue for its transformation from a resource-based economy to a diversified industrial and financial hub. Organisers noted that the city’s experience demonstrates the potential impact of long-term vision, infrastructure investment, and sovereign capital. “With Middle Eastern investors now among the largest financiers of African energy and infrastructure, the Africa–Middle East axis is central to this next chapter,” Gosling added.
High-level speakers confirmed for the forum include energy ministers Laye Sekou Camara of Guinea, Philippe Tonangoye of Gabon, Cyril Grant of Sierra Leone, and Nani Juwara of The Gambia. Waleid El Dien, chairman of Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone, will also participate, highlighting the forum’s growing focus on trade corridors and pit-to-port infrastructure.
The forum will revive its youth engagement programme, following last year’s YES! initiative, which drew over 6,000 registered participants. This year, organisers plan to integrate young professionals more directly with senior public and private sector leaders to create cross-generational dialogue around industrialisation and energy investment.
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AEF 2026 is co-anchored by forum sponsor Sun Africa, country host Petrodex, and city sponsor ACWA Power. The event is expected to attract hundreds of participants, ranging from policymakers and financiers to industrial project developers, and is seen as a major platform for catalysing energy and infrastructure investment in Africa.
“The continent now needs energy on an industrial scale,” Gosling said. “This forum provides a space for African and international stakeholders to plan and invest in the infrastructure that will underpin Africa’s industrial future.”
AEF organisers emphasised that the forum is not just about energy access, but about creating the backbone for Africa’s industrial growth and economic transformation, positioning power, minerals, and finance as central to the continent’s next phase of development.
