Dr.Jamal el-Swedey Abu Dhabi - Jamal Majaida The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) will organise its 18th conference on energy studies, entitled "Technology and the Future of Energy", on November 12 and 13 in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. The ECSSR 18th annual energy conference seeks to identify prevailing trends in the development of energy technologies with the aim of charting their potential role in shaping the future of world energy demand and supply. It also seeks to evaluate the impact of technology on the future of energy in the Arabian Gulf region specifically and the global energy sector as a whole. The first day of the conference will address the role of technology in the global energy system. It will examine the dynamics of changes in global energy supply and demand, as well as investment trends in energy technology. It will also investigate the impact of technological development on energy self-reliance among countries and regions, after which the focus will shift to prevailing trends in the development of energy technologies and their associated impacts on various aspects of the oil and gas, nuclear, and renewable energy sectors. The second day will discuss technological challenges and opportunities in energy-intensive sectors, reviewing potential applications for emerging technologies and their projected costs in the areas of power generation, construction and housing, transport and communication, and manufacturing and industry. It will then assess the potential implications of new technologies for the oil-producing countries of the Arabian Gulf, providing in-depth analysis of political, social, economic, financial and environmental considerations.