Abu dhabi: Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to formalise collaboration in support of the preparatory process and delivery of the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be hosted in the UAE at the end of this year. The signing was witnessed by H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Member of the World Economic Forum Leadership Council; B¸rge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum; and Larry Fink, interim Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum and co-founder, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock.
According to Emirates News Agency, the signing took place at the Davos Congress Centre, marking a significant step in strengthening relations between the UAE and WEF. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to enhancing public-private engagement and mobilising cross-sectoral action to advance the Conference's objectives, with a focus on accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 and global water action.
Balalaa highlighted that this partnership aims to expedite the transition from commitment to delivery. By collaborating with the World Economic Forum, the UAE intends to harness the power of public-private collaboration to shape outcomes, mobilise investments, and drive tangible progress through the Conference and beyond.
Sebastian Buckup, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, emphasised the critical role of water in economic resilience, climate stability, and human well-being. Through this partnership, the Forum seeks to strengthen a systems approach to water, mobilising cross-sector leadership, accelerating investment, and creating pathways to scale solutions. The collective efforts aim to ensure that the 2026 UN Water Conference delivers measurable impact where it is most needed.
The World Economic Forum provides a global, impartial platform to facilitate connections between leaders across political, business, academic, and civil society sectors. The UAE and WEF recognise water's centrality to productivity across major economic sectors, with 60% of the global GDP relying on adequate water access. Presently, approximately 90% of investment in the water sector comes from the public sector, with private contributions remaining limited.
This partnership seeks to alter that dynamic by bolstering public-private collaboration throughout the preparatory process of the 2026 UN Water Conference. It aims to leverage private sector expertise and entrepreneurship to scale innovation in water technology and mobilise investments across sectors.
The 2026 UN Water Conference will focus on turning ambition into impact and advancing sustainable water access for all. By bringing together key stakeholders from various sectors, this partnership will contribute to building a shared agenda to achieve the conference objectives.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Economic Forum will operationalise this MoU by co-convening a high-level session titled 'Unlocking Water Finance and Investment: Strengthening Public-Private Collaboration towards the 2026 UN Water Conference'. This session, among many planned for 2026, will explore ways to deliver on the MoU and chart pathways for scaling water financing and technology solutions through public-private partnerships, aiming to ensure sustainable access to water for all.
The signing of the MoU marks an early milestone in the 2026 UN Water Conference process. Insights and takeaways from these engagements will directly contribute to the High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, and inform the UAE's roadmap for the UN Water Conference at the end of 2026.