A 'demand decade' ahead for energy? BP, Baker Hughes CEOs weigh the investment outlook

Signage for the AI Zone at the Adipec energy conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The United Arab Emirates pledged to strengthen its energy infrastructure, saying the Middle East war demonstrated the value of investing in alternative supply routes and spare capacity to ride out times of crisis. Photographer: Walaa Alshaer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRising energy demand is creating new investment opportunities even as geopolitical risks and uncertain oil prices challenge the industry.Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli is optimistic about the longer-term outlook, pointing to AI, population growth and developing nations as factors supporting continued energy demand growth."I think we have a 'demand decade' ahead of us," Simonelli told CNBC's Dan Murphy on "Access Middle East" at the ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi. "We're looking at very much seeing capital investments improve and increase over time," as growing consumption will require additional infrastructure to support demand.However, turning that demand into profitability may be a challenge.Markus Krebber, CEO of German energy company RWE, said AI and el...