As the world debates energy transitions, climate targets and economic diversification, one truth is often overlooked: a child born today is likely to be alive in the year 2100. Some will be presidents, scientists, innovators or business leaders. All will live with the consequences of the energy decisions made in this decade.
For too long, global energy planning has stopped at 2050. Forecasts from major institutions such as Opec, the International Energy Agency and leading oil companies rarely extend beyond that date. But 2050 is no longer a distant future. It is barely one investment cycle away for mega energy projects, infrastructure that will still be operating when today’s newborns reach old age.
From a Gulf perspective, this matters deeply.
The region understands better than most the longevity of energy systems. The Middle East’s first oilfields, developed more than a century ago, continue to produce today. Power plants, refineries, transport networks and cities built now will shape emissions, economic resilience and climate exposure for generations.
Climate impacts, meanwhile, are even more enduring. Carbon dioxide released today can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years. If left unchecked, today’s emissions will continue warming the planet long after the current energy debates have faded into history.
By 2100, the global population is expected to reach between 10 and 11 billion. Temperatures will likely rise between 1.9°C and 3.7°C unless rapid technological and policy breakthroughs occur. For the Gulf, this translates into harsher heatwaves, greater water stress, rising sea levels and increasing pressure on food and energy systems.
Yet the future is not only a warning — it is also an opportunity.
The energy demand of 2100 will be far greater than today’s, driven by artificial intelligence, automation, desalination, advanced cooling, vertical farming and entirely new industries that are only beginning to emerge. Meeting this demand sustainably will define global leadership.
Renewable energy — particularly solar — will dominate power generation, with advances making it cheaper, more efficient and integrated into daily life. Nuclear power, small modular reactors and possibly fusion energy could transform baseload electricity. Batteries, hydrogen and long-distance transmission will reshape how power moves across borders.
For the Gulf, this transition is not a threat but a strategic pivot. Countries across the region are investing in renewables, clean hydrogen, carbon capture and advanced technologies, recognising that oil and gas will remain part of the mix — but with every tonne of emissions accounted for, captured or removed.
Even in 2100, hydrocarbons may still power ships, planes and industrial processes. But they will coexist with synthetic fuels, engineered solutions and large-scale carbon removal industries. The Gulf’s role will evolve from being only a supplier of energy to becoming a steward of sustainable systems.
The coming decades will also test uncomfortable ideas. Carbon removal on a massive scale will be unavoidable. Geoengineering — once dismissed as dangerous — may be attempted as a last line of defence against runaway climate change. These choices will demand global cooperation, strong governance and ethical leadership.
History will judge this generation not by its rhetoric, but by its foresight.
By 2100, our children should not inherit a planet managed by short-term thinking and delayed action. They should inherit a world where energy security, economic growth and environmental responsibility coexist — a world shaped by deliberate, courageous decisions made when there was still time to choose wisely.
