UAE MOFA signs MOU with WEF

- UAE MOFA signs MOU with WEF to strengthen collaboration towards 2026 United Nations Water Conference

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, that will be hosted in the UAE end of this year.

The signing took place in the presence of 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, Member of the World Economic Forum Leadership Council; Børge Brende is 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.

The signing took place at the Davos Congress Centre, marking an important step in strengthening relations between the UAE and WEF, underscoring a shared commitment to strengthening public-private engagement and mobilising cross-sectoral action to advance the Conference’s objectives, with a particular focus on accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 and global water action.

This partnership is about moving faster from commitment to delivery. By partnering with the World Economic Forum, we are unlocking the power of public-private collaboration to shape outcomes, mobilise investments, and drive real progress through the Conference and beyond,” stated Balalaa.

Sebastian Buckup, Managing Director, World Economic Forum, added that “Water underpins economic resilience, climate stability, and human well-being. Through this partnership with the UAE, the World Economic Forum will strengthen the much-needed systems approach to water — mobilising cross-sector leadership, helping to accelerate investment, and creating pathways to scale solutions. Together, we aim to ensure the 2026 UN Water Conference delivers measurable impact where it matters most.”

The World Economic Forum provides a global, impartial, not-for-profit platform and insights to support meaningful connections between political, business, academic, civil society and other leaders. The UAE and WEF recognise that water is central to productivity across all major economic sectors. Sixty percent of the global GDP depends on access to water in sufficient quantity and quality. Today, approximately 90 percent of investment in the water sector comes from the public sector, with private sector contributions remaining limited to small fraction of the investment required.

This partnership aims to change that dynamic, by strengthening public-private collaboration engagement all through the preparatory process of the 2026 UN Water Conference, leveraging private sector business acumen and entrepreneurship to scale innovation in water technology and mobilise investments in across sectors.

The 2026 UN Water Conference will be a global, implementation focused conference aimed at turning ambition into impact and advancing sustainable access to water for all. Bringing together key stakeholders from business, finance, civil society, philanthropy, and government, along with the forum’s multi-sectoral networks, this partnership will contribute to building a shared agenda to deliver the conference objectives.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Economic forum will start operationalising this MoU with the co-convening of a high-level session, entitled “Unlocking Water Finance and Investment: Strengthening Public-Private Collaboration towards the 2026 UN Water Conference”.

This discussion one among many planned for 2026 will identify ways of delivering on the MOU and charting pathways for scaling water financing, and technology solutions through public-private partnerships, to meet the goals of sustainable access to water for all.

The signing of the MoU marks an early milestone in the 2026 UN Water Conference process. The insights and takeaways from these engagements will contribute directly to the High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar, Senegal (26-27 January 2026) and inform UAE’s roadmap to the UN Water Conference at the end of 2026.