Innovative technologies, such as robotics, digital data and solar tools, are revolutionizing the energy industry as steam power did in the 1700s, electricity in the 1800s and hydrocarbons in the 1900s. The industry?s status quo is being overhauled ? again ? and the days when PDFs of data were manually passed between engineers at refineries, or between desks at offshore oil rigs will soon be remembered as a charming historical habit.

Balancingthe books for the gulf?s energy companies is not getting any easier. turbulent oil prices, soaring energy demand, green regulations and competition from energy producers in the us, iran, russia and many others is only going to intensify. innovative technologies represent the much-needed pressure release valve that can enhance safety, cost and operational efficiency. to unlock this potential, energy companies must get to grips with the rapidly evolving lingo and application ? quickly. the pace of change for those who want to remain commercially competitive will not be measured in decades, but by a few years. the tick of the clock is louder than ever before.