The Middle East oil and gas industry faces pressure on several fronts. Enterprises around the world are deploying sustainable-energy technology designed to reduce reliance on oil in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, while geopolitical turmoil has caused oil prices to plunge, putting pressure on energy company IT budgets. Shumon Zaman is a UAE-based technology executive and consultant who most recently worked as technology vice president at Lamprell PLC, a company specializing in the oil rig construction business; in this edited Q&A he highlights the power of digital twins and other emerging tech to accelerate digitalization in oil and gas industry -- with the aim of curbing costs, optimising revenue streams and supporting sustainability initiatives. Which emerging technologies will shape the future for the oil and gas industry? Shumon Zaman is a UAE-based technology executive.

If companies fail to make artificial intelligence (AI) a core competency within the next five years, they will face either stagnation or elimination, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. The company's latest Thematic Research report: 'Artificial Intelligence – Thematic Research', reveals that incumbents in virtually every industry are facing some kind of game-changing disruption from AI technologies, with some being better prepared than others for the challenges ahead. AI adoption is highest in the banking and financial services, automotive, technology and telecoms verticals while the construction, energy and education industries lag behind. The report also identifies the market leaders and notable disruptive start-ups across seven AI technology areas, namely; machine learning, data science, conversational platforms, computer vision, AI chips, smart robots and context-aware computing. Ed Thomas, Senior Analyst, Thematic Research Technology at GlobalData, commented, ''Nearly 70 years since Alan Turing posed the question'Can machines think?', AI is finally beginning to have an impact on the global economy.