• Utilising energy storage projects to meet regional renewable energy targets such as UAE Energy Strategy 2050
• Modernising and evolving regulatory frameworks for energy storage
• Outlining progress of the world’s first 24/7 solar PV & storage gigascale project in Abu Dhabi
• Using energy storage to support and enable large scale renewable energy integration and electrical grids
• Progressing tenders and awards for energy storage projects

As the Middle East accelerates its energy transition, BESS has proven to be a key enabler. This session will cover
development insights and best practice gained from the region’s early pioneering storage projects.

• What were the early challenges and lessons learned from project tendering to development
• Discussing developer pain points and challenges, from securing funding to structuring contracts
• Promoting Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) potential in the Middle East
• Sustaining the region’s progress: What is the future outlook for scaling energy storage development across the region?
• Implications of localisation initiatives such as Emiratization & Saudization

• Examining the role of government-led initiatives and private sector partnerships in funding energy storage projects
• Positioning the Middle East as a global hub for energy storage innovation and investment
• The role of sovereign wealth funds, multilateral development banks, commercial banks and export credit agencies in supporting energy storage projects
• Analysing the impact of currency fluctuations on financing energy storage projects in emerging markets
• Long-term trends in financing energy storage as a critical enabler of renewable energy integration in the Middle East

With AI usages increasing across the energy sector, how can AI and other digital tools be utilised to support BESS
operations and promote high performing storage projects?

• How can EMS and machine learning be utilised and integrated to support project bankability and performance
• Predicting lifecycle and mitigating safety concerns utilizing AI and Machine Learning
• How can national grids benefit from AI integration for BESS forecasts

The BESS industry is making rapid advancements across the world. What is the key to success for energy storage leaders
around the world? This session will offer comparisons across the leading storage markets globally to understand the key
similarities and differences.

• What can the Middle East and the rest of the world learn from each other from BESS project success?
• Comparing & contrasting: BESS regulatory frameworks

This session will explore the transformative role energy storage has had across the wider Middle East region. Hear in depth case studies from countries around the region and successful project rollout stories. Showcasing innovative approaches to energy storage deployment, speakers will discuss integration with renewable energy sources and overcoming regional challenges.

• Discussing key differences in storage projects across the region: discussing use case applications
• Fostering a collaborative approach to progressing storage initiatives in the Middle East
• Exploring where respective energy storage development expertise lies across the Middle East

With intense and extreme climates in the Middle East, battery safety is not optional, its essential. This session will delve
into the operational concerns of battery systems and how to mitigate these with innovative BESS design and operation.

• Designing and operating BESS in harsh climates to avoid worst case scenarios such as thermal runaway and fire
  hazards
• Employing cooling systems for storage systems in intense desert heat
• Looking at wider regional environmental challenges such as sandstorms and humidity
• Steps to mitigate long-life safety Issues for BESS
• What ESG criteria are being applied to BESS in the discussion of safety?

This session will explore the growing trend of hybridising Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) with other energy assets,
such as solar PV, wind farms, and hydrogen. It will delve into the technical and operational benefits of co-locating assets,
as well as the challenges and strategies for successful implementation in the Middle East’s unique energy landscape.

• Discussing the true value in hybridisation of BESS
• Using BESS to enable smoother power output for renewable assets
• Maximising the potential of the Middle East’s abundant solar resources

Energy storage is a key enabler for grid stability. This session will explore how the grid and wider market design needs to
change to support BESS integration and connections.

• How does grid regulation and market design need to evolve to meet energy storage advancements
• Contrasting and comparing the variances across GCC land for BESS integration
• How can future market and policy frameworks support BESS grid integration and improve scalability?
• Developing grid resilience through BESS dispatch and control to support long-term renewable targets

Saudi Arabia has a BESS pipeline of over 25GWh projects either in planning or announced up to 2027. This session will
examine this market in closer detail, going over what is driving the demand as well as the specific development challenges.

• What are the key industry players bringing to the table to promote long term BESS value and drive demand in the
  region?
• Overcoming barriers to deployment in Saudi Arabia, such as Local Content Rates and local workforces
• Building and promoting sustainable resilient energy storage supply chains in KSA
• Funding and investment trends, what future project opportunities are ahead?

• Optimizing performance of BESS to maximise battery reliability and efficiency
• How can operators use advanced real-time analytics to support battery performance
• Future outlook: how to prolong lifespans of gigascale BESS projects?

As the Middle East embraces the energy transition, workforce development is becoming a cornerstone of sustainable BESS
innovation. This session will focus on strategies to equip the regional workforce with the skills and expertise needed to
support emerging energy technologies, specifically BESS and advancing grid integration solutions.

• Addressing the workforce and talent requirements to ensure the Middle East can become a global storage leader
• How can the region work together to plug vital skill gaps to support the wider renewable development goals?
• Promoting a flourishing pipeline of engineering talent to scale the role of BESS in the energy transition