The International Conference on AI and Materials for Sustainability (AIMS 2025) opens at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi on Monday 15 December 2025, bringing together researchers, engineers and policy makers for three days of talks on water, energy and climate. The programme is scheduled from Monday 15 December to Wednesday 17 December 2025, with day one expected to run roughly from 9:00 AM to late afternoon as plenary and technical sessions begin (suitable for solo professionals, industry delegates, academic teams). Organised by international academic partners, the conference aims to highlight how artificial intelligence can accelerate the discovery and deployment of sustainable materials. Although AIMS 2025 is a relatively new event, it fits into a wider regional push to use advanced computation for real world sustainability challenges in the Gulf. As a result, day one already looks like a dense, research heavy programme that is clearly not suitable for children.
Themes connecting AI, materials and sustainability
AIMS 2025 focuses on how AI tools can shorten development cycles for materials that support low carbon energy, efficient water treatment and climate resilience. Key tracks are expected to include AI driven materials design, carbon capture and storage materials, hydrogen and electrochemical systems, as well as digital sustainability and circular energy transitions. Additionally, the organisers emphasise cross disciplinary work that brings together chemists, physicists, materials scientists and data scientists under the same umbrella. On day one, many of the plenary talks are likely to set out broad frameworks for integrating machine learning with laboratory and pilot scale experiments, before later days move into more specialised sessions. For delegates, this combination of AI methods and concrete materials case studies makes the first day particularly valuable for understanding where the field is heading.
Structure of day one at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
The official conference window is scheduled from Monday 15 December to Wednesday 17 December 2025, and day one will typically follow the classic pattern of registration, opening remarks, plenary keynotes and initial parallel sessions. Although the exact hour by hour schedule has not yet been published, similar events at this venue usually start registration from about 8:00 AM so that delegates can collect badges and settle in before the first keynote. Morning talks on day one are expected to introduce overall themes like water–energy–climate and showcase invited speakers drawn from leading research institutes and industry. After lunch, attendees can normally expect more focused technical sessions and possibly a first poster viewing or networking coffee. Delegates should plan to keep the whole of Monday 15 December free, because the first day will likely run from early morning check in to late afternoon sessions.
Who typically attends and how networking works
The organisers frame AIMS 2025 as a platform for academics, industrial researchers, start up founders and policy makers who work in materials, AI and sustainability. Consequently, day one usually brings a high concentration of senior speakers and decision makers who try to attend the opening plenaries, even if they cannot stay for every later session. Early career researchers and PhD students are also strongly encouraged to join, especially those presenting posters or short talks in application oriented tracks. Because the conference is held inside a hotel venue, most coffee breaks and lunches double as informal networking spaces rather than separate social events. Professionals looking for collaboration opportunities should treat day one coffee breaks and the lunch interval as prime times to introduce themselves and exchange contact details.
Registration, fees and booking expectations
AIMS 2025 is clearly presented as a paid, professional research conference rather than a free public forum, and registration is required before arrival at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. Official information describes standard registration procedures, abstract acceptance and a registration deadline likely falling in late November 2025, although a detailed fee table in AED has not yet been made widely available. In comparable three day conferences at Abu Dhabi hotels, full passes are usually priced at professional rates in AED, with discounts sometimes offered for students or early bird registrations, so prospective delegates should budget with that in mind and treat all expected costs as approximately until confirmed. Because the event partners include established academic and professional organisations, participants can expect payment channels such as credit card or bank transfer rather than on site cash. The critical point is that would be delegates must register and pay in advance in AED, and should not expect to walk in on Monday 15 December without prior confirmation.
Venue setting at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr sits on the Abu Dhabi side of the main bridges linking the island to the mainland, looking across the water toward the Grand Mosque, and it operates as both a business and leisure hotel. The conference centre inside the hotel includes large ballrooms that can host plenary talks and smaller breakout rooms for technical tracks, all supported by typical four star style audio visual equipment. As with many hotel based conferences, catering for day one will probably consist of coffee breaks and a buffet or set menu lunch served in adjacent areas, which keeps delegates close to the session rooms. The waterfront setting also means that outdoor terraces and lobby areas can be used for short networking breaks, especially in the cooler December weather. However, because Fairmont Bab Al Bahr also hosts regular hotel guests and other events, delegates should allow a little extra time to navigate shared lifts, lobbies and security checks on the first morning.
Travel plans from Dubai and other emirates
For delegates driving from central Abu Dhabi, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr lies just off the causeways near Sheikh Zayed Bridge, so access from the city island normally takes around 15 to 25 minutes outside peak traffic. From Dubai, the journey along E11 to the Abu Dhabi entry and then toward the bridges typically takes about 75 to 90 minutes by car, depending on conditions at key interchanges. Additionally, professionals travelling from Sharjah or Ajman often connect through Dubai and then continue to Abu Dhabi on E11, so they should plan a similar door to door timing and consider staying overnight in Abu Dhabi if they want to attend early sessions. Public transport links to the hotel area exist via intercity bus to Abu Dhabi central stations followed by taxi or ride hailing to the venue, but this option can be slow for morning arrivals. Because day one starts in the morning, delegates from other emirates should either stay nearby on Sunday night or schedule a very early departure to avoid missing opening keynotes.
Weather outlook for mid December conference days
Weather forecasts for Abu Dhabi in mid December 2025 indicate mostly hazy sunshine at the start of the week, with daytime highs around 27 to 28 degrees Celsius and nights near 18 to 20 degrees. As the week progresses, temperatures are expected to dip slightly, with Thursday 18 December likely to be partly sunny and highs near 25 degrees, followed by a cooler spell around Friday 19 December and Saturday 20 December as light rain showers and more cloud move through. These showers are not currently expected to become severe storms, yet they may briefly affect visibility and make exposed surfaces near the waterfront more slippery than usual. Inside the hotel, air conditioning will keep meeting rooms cool, so the contrast between indoor and outdoor conditions can feel noticeable if you step outside during breaks. In practice, delegates should treat the AIMS 2025 dates as mild winter days that require light layers rather than heavy jackets, while still staying aware of the possibility of brief rain on the Friday and Saturday following the conference.
Traffic, parking and public transport considerations
Traffic around Fairmont Bab Al Bahr on Monday 15 December 2025 is likely to follow normal weekday patterns, with heavier flows between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM on the main approach roads and bridge corridors. The hotel provides on site parking, yet the number of spaces near the conference entrance can feel tight when a large event coincides with high hotel occupancy, so arriving closer to 8:00 AM rather than just before the first session is usually more comfortable. Additionally, delegates who stay in nearby hotels or serviced apartments can often walk a short distance or take a very short taxi ride, which avoids the need to re enter the most congested parts of the road network during the morning peak. For those relying on intercity buses, it is important to factor in transfer times from Abu Dhabi bus stations to the hotel, because taxis at peak times may involve short queues. Overall, parking capacity is limited around the most convenient spots at the venue, so planning your arrival and exit windows carefully will make day one noticeably smoother.
Clothing, equipment and closing advice for day one
For clothing, business casual or light formal attire is usually appropriate at a research conference in Abu Dhabi, so delegates often choose a shirt or blouse with lightweight trousers or a modest dress, plus a thin blazer or cardigan for cooler meeting rooms. Comfortable closed shoes are recommended because you will likely move between plenary halls, breakout rooms and networking areas several times during day one. It is also wise to bring a laptop or tablet, a charger and perhaps a power bank, since many presentations and poster discussions will involve sharing slides, code snippets or data visualisations, and power outlets near seating areas can be limited. Given the forecast of warm but not hot weather and a small chance of showers later in the week, a light jacket or foldable umbrella may be useful if you plan to walk along the waterfront in the evenings. Make your reservation before it is too late, because professional events of this scale at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr tend to reach capacity well before Monday 15 December, and organisers may close registration early once delegate numbers approach their limit. According to planning notes and comparisons often summarised by editors at platforms like www.few.ae, attendees who secure their registration early, build realistic travel buffers from other emirates and pack for both air conditioned rooms and mild outdoor conditions usually find that day one of a conference like AIMS 2025 feels productive and relaxed rather than rushed.
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