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On Thursday, 5 November, NYU Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the UAE as Co-Host of the 2026 UN Water Conference, will host Water Technology for the 21st Century — a special panel discussion exploring how innovation is transforming the way we produce, treat, and reuse water.

The event will feature opening remarks by HE Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, and will be moderated by Henro Mans, Associate Director MEP, Miral Group.

The discussion will explore what it takes to accelerate emerging technologies — from advanced desalination and membrane systems to digitalisation — and move promising innovations beyond the research lab into large-scale implementation.

Joining the panel are:

• Shehab Al Muharrami, CEO, TAQA Water Solutions
• Nidal Hilal, Director, Water Research Center, NYU Abu Dhabi
• William Janssen, Co-Founder and CEO, Desolenator

We’ll be sharing highlights and insights from the discussion across our social media channels. As we build towards December, connecting researchers, technology providers, industry, students, and policymakers will be essential to moving promising innovations into implementation at scale.

Join us at NYUAD in Abu Dhabi or follow the conversation on Instagram or X.

Cities are already grappling with ageing infrastructure, rising demand, and growing pressure on water resources. Integrating water security into urban planning and development is fundamental to building liveable, resilient cities.

The solutions are within reach, from smarter water planning and efficient networks that reduce losses to innovative financing mechanisms that mobilise the capital needed to address the estimated $6.7 trillion global water infrastructure gap by 2030.

This December, the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi will bring together policymakers, investors, and climate-tech innovators to turn these priorities into investment opportunities, partnerships, and practical solutions.

In a newly published op-ed in The Jakarta Post, HE Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, makes the case for recognising nature as essential infrastructure — with mangroves serving as guardians of our coast and a vital line of defence for water resilience.

Beyond supporting wildlife and storing carbon, mangroves absorb wave energy, reduce coastal erosion, trap sediment, and protect water quality. Healthy ecosystems are therefore essential to both water security and ocean health.

Drawing on the newly released State of the World’s Mangroves Report, HE Balalaa highlights three key connections to SDG 6 and SDG 14:

• Water and nature are inseparable: True water security means treating land and ocean as interconnected systems.
• Nature delivers measurable protection: Coastal wetlands reduce flood impacts for nearly half a million people annually, preventing an estimated US$2 billion in damages.
• Cooperation drives impact: The UAE and Indonesia, home to 20% of the world’s mangroves, are advancing joint action through the Mangrove Alliance for Climate and Bali’s Mohamed bin Zayed–Joko Widodo International Mangrove Research Centre, backed by a US$10 million UAE commitment.

As HE Balalaa writes:

“Our experiences with mangroves across the UAE and Indonesia show that adversity can become a catalyst for progress. The next chapter of water resilience will be written by bringing infrastructure and nature together, and by countries choosing to learn from one another before the next crisis forces them to.”

Read the op-ed

On 3 November we joined people across the UAE in celebrating Flag Day — an opportunity to reflect on the values and vision that have shaped our journey and continue to guide our future.

More than a symbol of national identity, the UAE flag represents a spirit of ingenuity, resilience, and openness to new ideas, alongside a belief in what can be achieved through collective effort. These are the values that drive progress, create opportunities, and help build a brighter future for generations to come.

As we prepare to welcome the world for the 2026 UN Water Conference, this same spirit of collaboration and shared ambition guides our efforts to turn innovation into action and advance a water-secure future for all.

Follow our X account for more updates along the way.

Be part of The Oasis - where ideas become action. Connect with the innovators, investors, businesses, and decision-makers shaping the future of water, discover solutions ready to scale, and build partnerships that can turn commitments into impact.

Register now and plan your travel early to make the most of your time in Abu Dhabi. Special accommodation packages are available for Conference attendees.

According to the Water Footprint Network, producing an 800g loaf of wheat bread can require around 1,290 litres of water. That’s roughly equivalent to 25 five-minute showers - much of that water is used behind the scenes, from growing wheat and milling flour to baking and getting the finished loaf onto supermarket shelves.

It’s a reminder that water is an invisible thread, connected to almost everything we consume, often in ways we never see. Keep an eye on our social channels as we uncover more of the invisible water footprints behind everyday life.

This month, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the inaugural UAE Water Finance Leaders Forum, bringing together senior leaders from government, development finance, commercial banks, sovereign investors, and philanthropy to turn shared ambition into investable projects and partnerships.

Held in partnership with the Global Climate Finance Centre, the Forum focused on bridging the gap between water needs and investment - connecting policy with finance, and innovation with delivery.

A key priority was exploring how UAE development and catalytic finance could work alongside multilateral development banks and development finance institutions to move projects towards investment readiness, while creating opportunities for commercial banks, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and philanthropies to contribute complementary forms of capital.

The goal: build the partnerships and financing pathways that turn promising water solutions into projects ready to scale.

As countries diversify their energy mix and accelerate the shift to cleaner energy, water is becoming an increasingly important part of the equation. From power generation to industrial production, reliable water supplies and resilient infrastructure underpin the systems that keep economies running.

“Energy resilience is a key word for us in the UAE, but also at the same time we’re introducing new strategies on how we can reduce the reliance on any source, or straight, or strategy in place.”

This interconnected challenge reinforces the need for integrated planning, cross-sector collaboration, and investment across resilient water and energy infrastructure — a key conversation as we look ahead to the Conference this December.

Did you know, an estimated $6.7 trillion in financing is needed to close the gap between the world’s water goals and the investment available to achieve them?

At last week’s IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok, the UAE called for stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector to unlock the capital needed to deliver water solutions at scale. Here’s what His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, had to say:

“When government, business, and stakeholders work together early enough, it becomes possible to turn a water challenge into a practical investment opportunity.”

From effective regulation to stronger project pipelines, it is essential for the right conditions for investment to be created to deliver water solutions at scale. Central to the Conference in December, “Investments for Water” features as one of the six dedicated Interactive Dialogues, taking this conversation forward.

That was a central message at this week’s Global Food Week UAE 2026, where we explored the deep connection between resilient food and water systems. More than 95% of food produced on land depends on freshwater, while producing the food one person consumes in a day can require 2,000–5,000 litres of water.

As populations grow and food demand rises, the question is clear: how do we produce more food, for more people, while putting less pressure on water, land, energy, and ecosystems?

The opportunity is enormous - from precision agriculture and water-efficient crops, to AI, smarter irrigation, reuse, and new investment models that can take solutions from pilot to scale.

Food and water can no longer be treated as separate conversations. They are part of the same system, the same economic opportunity, and the same future.

Global Food Security Summit: The conversation focused on accelerating investment and innovation in water-smart agriculture - from efficient irrigation and drought-resilient crops, to water reuse and smarter water management.

PALT Conference: The focus shifted to the opportunities emerging at the intersection of food, technology, and investment. Alternative proteins, fermentation, cultivated foods, algae, and other next-generation technologies highlighted how food production could become more diverse, resource-efficient, and resilient.

Together, the conversations reinforced a simple message: the future of food is inseparable from the future of water - and unlocking that future will require innovation, investment, and collaboration across both.

During a keynote address at the PALT Conference, HE Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, reiterated this fundamental connection between water resources and food production:

“Abu Dhabi is building an environment where research can connect with delivery. Where entrepreneurs can connect with capital. Where technology can connect with manufacturing. Where regulation can evolve alongside innovation.

And where companies can move from the laboratory, to pilot, to commercial production, and ultimately to global markets. This integrated and supportive environment is particularly powerful for food security. Because the next generation of food companies will not look like the food companies of the past. The food companies of the future might look like biotechnology companies.

They may be data companies. They may be advanced manufacturing companies. They may be water companies. They may be energy companies. And, more so, the next generation of food companies will look like all of these at once.”

According to the Water Footprint Network and Energy Saving Trust, the water footprint associated with producing a morning latte can be comparable to the water used to run six loads of laundry.

The surprising part is that most of that water never reaches your cup. It is embedded in the journey behind it - from growing coffee beans and producing milk, to processing, packaging, and preparing the final drink.

What makes AGWA particularly interesting for investors is that it is about much more than attracting individual companies. Instead, AGWA is creating the conditions for companies to build, scale, manufacture, commercialise, and export from Abu Dhabi.

For example, the recent project with The EVERY Company and Vivici to explore a four-million-litre industrial-scale facility for protein fermentation, which moves the conversation from the laboratory to industrial scale: building the infrastructure, regulatory framework, talent, and commercial ecosystem needed to make fermentation-based proteins a meaningful part of future food supply chains.

Another case is their work with New Agrarian, which explores a large-scale, multi-tenant protein fermentation centre that will create a platform where multiple international companies can manufacture, commercialise, and export alternative proteins from Abu Dhabi.

Because innovation does not scale simply just because the science works. For innovation to scale, we need a holistic ecosystem of support.

“Water has always been under-prioritised, taken for granted, and held hostage to something else. This requires a paradigm shift.”

Both closer collaboration and more urgent and innovative solutions to help bridge the nearly $7 billion funding gap in global water security finance are primary objectives of the UN Water Conference, as well as turning dialogue into actionable commitments that move the needle.

This will bring together innovators, investors, thought leaders, policymakers, and experts from across sectors, and the brightest young minds for three days of dynamic programming, immersive exhibitions, and country pavilions.

The Oasis includes the world’s leading experts, such as water innovators, financiers, and policy-makers, and will be an unmissable opportunity to connect and be part of a historical event.

It’s important that you register today. Attending The Oasis is free for all registrants, and you are also eligible to receive special accommodation rates during your stay in Abu Dhabi in December.

Against a backdrop of growing global focus on artificial intelligence (AI), the UAE water delegation organized a series of sessions on how AI, water, and energy connect, bringing the conversation to private sector leaders, innovators, banks, financial institutions, investors, and youth.

Read the full press release.

Read below for major highlights from New York, where water was front and centre of the conversation.

For further updates, follow along on X here .

As you finalise your plans, explore our accommodation portal for exclusive hotel rates across the UAE.

Bringing together NYU Abu Dhabi, Masdar’s Youth4Sustainability and the UAE’s 2026 UN Water Conference, the conversation provided a space for fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that will shape our shared future.

Thank you to NYU Abu Dhabi and Masdar’s Youth4Sustainability for the opportunity, and a special thank you to the inspiring students who contributed their ideas. We hope students from across the world will continue to help us shape the future of water as we look ahead to December and beyond.

Moderated by CNBC’s Tania Bryer, the discussion featured Shaima Gargash, Director of Energy & Sustainability at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team, and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, former NBA player and Adapt2Win Champion.

The conversation focused on how storytelling, public platforms, fan bases, and cultural institutions can bring the importance of water to wider public audiences, creating opportunities to collaborate on solutions and new ideas. Participants explored how storytellers, athletes, and artists can build understanding, inspire engagement, and forge partnerships to advance water resilience and SDG6.

“We want to break silos and think out of the box about innovative solutions, and we need everyone to help us design the future.” – Shaima Gargash, Director of Energy & Sustainability at UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs

At “Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action”, HE Abdulla Balalaa called for greater political momentum, cross-sectoral collaboration, and sharper roadmaps and commitments for Member States — as well as public and private sector stakeholders to be able to implement and scale actionable solutions by the Conference.

The session brought together several Member States and international organisations from - the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment; the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNESCWA; and the Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank - and was moderated by Foreign Policy’s Susan Sadigova.

“Success of the Conference should not be judged on the 10th of December, but by whether money and action follow in the months and years afterwards” – HE Balalaa

The World Bank also highlighted its Water Forward initiative , a global coalition designed to make water security a driver of jobs, economic growth, and resilience. Announced earlier this spring, Water Forward aspires to improve water security for up to 1 billion people by 2030, bringing governments, development banks, private capital, and other partners together around country-led Water Compacts to align policy reform, institutional strengthening, and investment - and move from fragmented projects to scalable, investable water solutions.

The meeting focused on strengthening U.S.–UAE collaboration to drive large-scale private sector investment and innovation in water security solutions.

Participants also explored the challenges of attracting long-term institutional capital, including pension and sovereign wealth funds, to the water sector. A key focus was moving beyond concessional financing to develop commercially viable projects that deliver the reliable returns these investors need.

This year marks the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA), a critical milestone ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference.

But first, what is the UN General Assembly? 🌍🔹 Every year, UNGA brings together all 193 UN Member States in New York to take stock on the world’s most pressing challenges and to discuss, debate, and advance cooperation across sustainable development, economic growth, peace and security, human rights, and education.

🔹 Around the formal UNGA programme, New York becomes a global hub for leaders from government, business, civil society, academia, young advocates, the financial community, and philanthropy, creating opportunities to build partnerships, exchange ideas, and accelerate action.

🔹 This year, water is at the forefront of high-level discussion across New York as private sector leaders, investors, philanthropists, governments and Member States, civil society organisations, and youth advocates discuss how interconnected water is to food security, digital infrastructure, energy transformation, multilateral cooperation, and economic growth.

Momentum is building for the 2026 UN Water Conference as public and private sector stakeholders alike are exploring new collaborations and opportunities to shape a new future for water action.

Snapshots below are from key moments in New York this week so far.

The session brought together leaders across government, technology, finance, and water stewardship to examine how AI can become a force for water resiliency, while ensuring the infrastructure powering the digital expansion is responsibly considered.

“Let me start with saying that water is life. It is the invisible system that drives economic opportunity, growth, and every sector, from energy to agriculture to technology - HE Abdulla Balalaa

The convening was chaired by Sir Andrew Steer of the London School of Economics, and HE Balalaa was joined in conversation by Microsoft’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Melanie Nakagawa; 500 Global’s Managing Partner of Sustainable Growth, Dr. Alaa Murabit; and Xatoms’ Founder and CEO, Diana Virgovicova.

Goals House is held annually on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week programme, bringing together thousands of political leaders, activists, academics, philanthropists, NGOs, and entrepreneurs for action-oriented conversations.

Co-Hosted by HE Abdulla Balalaa and HE Badr Jafar, UAE Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, the private roundtable explored how to close the water investment gap, and how partnerships can turn promising projects into investable opportunities.

Discussants highlighted the role of long-term guarantees, innovative technologies, and catalytic investment, and project-development pipelines that can help scale water infrastructure solutions across global markets.

“The AI revolution, the energy transition, food security, and urban growth are all water stories. We cannot strengthen food systems, expand industrial capacity, nor build resilient cities without critical water infrastructure.” - HE Abdulla Balalaa

“The solutions exist. What is missing is the preparation, the risk allocation, and the patient capital that turn a good idea into a financeable project. That is where business, investors, and strategic philanthropy can each do what governments cannot do alone, and why the UAE is bringing them into one room.” - HE Badr Jafar

The global water sector faces a significant financing gap, with investment in infrastructure and solutions falling far short of what is needed to meet growing demand and strengthen water security.

At the private sector roundtable, UAE stakeholders also highlighted a recent commitment by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) - setting a AED 100 billion (US$27.2 billion) blue-finance target and becoming the first MENA bank to sign the UN Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles.

The FAB announcement is a powerful example of how finance can help move water from a global challenge to an investable priority.

Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer and HE Balalaa discussed the scale of the water investment challenge - and the need for governments, development institutions, investors, and the private sector to work together to mobilise long-term capital and innovation needed to build a more resilient future for water and all interrelated industries.

HE Balalaa set out the scale of the issue: 2.1 billion people without safe sanitation, 3.4 billion in water-scarce conditions, and 700 million at risk of displacement. The financing gap reaches $6.7 trillion by 2030, yet over 90% of developing-world water spending is public money.

His fix: governments provide the regulation, MDBs provide de-risking mechanisms, and private capital follows - and technology transforms.

The “Who Leads Now?” session also included Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Alex Soros of the Open Society Foundation, and Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois.

CGI’s Annual Meeting brings together leaders from government, business, philanthropy, and civil society to accelerate action across the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) opened a special contest calling for visually compelling and inspiring photojournalism that highlights people, communities, challenges, and solutions connected to water.

Applications are open to all with $23,000 in total prizes for winners. Held in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the winning photographs will be featured at the 2026 UN Water Conference this December.

Submissions for HIPA’s global photography contest are open until 16 October 2026.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTEST

In the desert, an oasis is where water creates life. At the 2026 UN Water Conference, The Oasis is where water brings people, innovations, ideas, and solutions together to create a better future for all.

The Oasis, the UAE-hosted zone at the Conference, is open to all and will host all exhibitions and pavilions, combined with three full days of dynamic programming bringing together everyone from government to the private sector to next generation leaders.

An estimated $6.7 trillion funding gap currently exists for water needs, with the vast majority of financing driven by the public sector. During his conversation with CNN, HE Balalaa examined this opportunity for private sector institutions and partnerships to address this gap and drive impact.

Abu Dhabi's Department of Energy is harnessing AI to process live and historical data to optimise water systems, from innovative leak detection to advanced consumption forecasting, which we saw in their AD.WE platform. This can save up to 160 million cubic metres of water each year.

In Dubai, Hydro Insight is analysing data from more than one million smart water meters every 15 minutes to reduce anomalies and leak detection time from 30 days to just one hour.

Stay tuned to see how the 2026 UN Water Conference places water and AI at the front of the conversation, and presents the opportunity to ask how we can future-proof the infrastructure that powers AI.

If you're attending UNGA and want to connect ahead of the UN Water Conference, reach out to us here, or follow us on X for updates.

­ FOLLOW US ON X FOR UPDATES

These Principles are a global UN initiative that guide financial institutions on lending and investing in water and ocean-related industries.

FAB also established an AED 100 billion (USD $27.2 billion) blue finance target that will drive water security initiatives and marine economy projects.

FAB also established an AED $100 billion (USD $27.2 billion) blue finance target that will go towards water security initiatives and marine economy projects, spanning 2026-2035, and aligns with the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference.

To find a solution, better coordination of water is needed across states, sectors, and institutions. In this series, our three guest speakers examine where we’re currently falling short, and how we can work to better align water’s own political importance to the multilateral process, especially in the lead up to the 2026 UN Water Conference.

You can watch the latest episode ‘Water in Multilateral Processes’ here on Youtube, and let us know what you would like to learn more about in the comments

Currently, the overwhelming majority of expenditure towards water projects comes from public sources, and growing global demand presents huge opportunities for the private sector to bridge the gap.

For some countries, this is not just a case of unlocking capital, but also building out capacity in more innovative and efficient ways.

The Oasis at the 2026 UN Water Conference will be the place for investors, private sector leaders, and the financial community to connect with innovators, policy leaders, and enabling partners to collectively translate ambition to action across water.

“Water is the invisible thread of the economy. You may not always see it on a balance sheet, but water underpins every aspect of development and economic activity.”

Registration for the UAE-led zone is now open! Click here to join us in December, or register below.

Each year, world leaders gather at UNGA to help form decisions that shape international laws and climate targets, and to set the stage and tackle big challenges, like sourcing clean water at scale and solving other humanitarian needs (SDG 6).

Will we see you at New York Climate Week and the UN General Assembly? Get in touch here, or you can follow the conversation on X for live updates from New York

HE Balalaa led a UAE delegation to join leaders from financial and business sectors, researchers, and policy makers, to examine how solutions can be accelerated through meaningful investment and innovation, and build more cooperation between organisations and states.

At the heart of the discussion was the shared mission to drive innovation for water access and sustainability through better policy and governance. Ahead of her panel, Shaima Gargash, Director of Energy and Sustainability Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained how World Water Week is building towards Abu Dhabi, and why engagement needs to start now. Listen to commentary here.

But the ingenuity of the falaj was not only in how water moved. The word means “to share fairly”, reflecting a system built around a shared commitment to manage water together.

Today, that same spirit of stewardship and ingenuity continues to guide our approach to water, innovating daily, and exploring new ways to manage, use, and reuse it.

Pretoria, South Africa

The Embassy of the UAE in South Africa convened a consultative meeting for members of the Diplomatic Corps in Pretoria in preparation for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Tokyo, Japan

HE Abdulla Balalaa led the UAE delegation to Japan to participate in commemorative engagements marking the 50th anniversary of the country's national Water Day and Water Week.

Led by the UAE, The Oasis will bring together innovators, investors, thought leaders, policymakers, experts from across sectors, and the brightest young minds for three days of dynamic programming, immersive exhibitions, and pavilions.

The Oasis will run alongside the United Nations-accredited Blue Zone, which features the official 2026 UN Water Conference agenda including the six Interactive Dialogues and plenaries and side events organised by Member States and accredited stakeholders.

Join us in Abu Dhabi to build the future of water.

Yet billions of people still live without the basics: 2.1 billion without safely managed drinking water, and 3.4 billion without safely managed sanitation.

The 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi is a pivotal moment for the world to come together on water. Co-Hosted by the UAE and Senegal, it is only the third UN Water Conference in fifty years. This is our opportunity to turn shared ambition into action that improves lives, restores ecosystems, and accelerates access to clean water and sanitation for all.

Are you going to be at one of these upcoming events? Get in touch.

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