UAE Calls for Water to Drive Peace and Shared Prosperity, and Urges Investment and Action at Cairo Water Week

The United Arab Emirates called for stronger international cooperation and accelerated investment in water solutions to advance stability, shared prosperity, and a sustainable planet at Cairo Water Week, as preparations intensify for the 2026 UN Water Conference. 

The opening ceremony for the ninth edition of Cairo Water Week, which was convened under the theme ‘Water as a Catalyst for Peace, Shared Prosperity, and a Sustainable Planet’, brought together His Excellency Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and a number of ministers and other high-level officials. During his remarks, His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, urged governments, investors, and businesses to prioritize water in economic planning and investment decisions, and connect promising innovations with the capital and partnerships needed to scale them. 

In this regard, H.E. Balalaa said: “Water must be prioritized within economic and development strategies — not only as a challenge to address, but as an opportunity to unlock innovation, investment, and shared prosperity. We need to move from commitments to implementation, from innovation to deployment, and from recognizing water-related risks, to investing in water resilience.”

Drawing on the UAE’s efforts, H.E. Balalaa highlighted the UAE’s approach to water security is grounded in a legacy of innovative solutions and cooperation across generations.  His Excellency stressed the importance of developing bankable projects and strengthening partnerships between governments, development finance institutions, and the private sector to bring solutions to scale.

One of the key activities at Cairo Water Week convened by the UAE, Senegal, and Egypt was a high-level session on ‘The Final Mile to Abu Dhabi: From Dialogue to Action for the 2026 UN Water Conference’; followed by a technical discussions with the co-chairs of the interactive dialogues. Both sessions brought together ministers, government officials and leaders from international organizations and development finance institutions to review progress across the Conference’s six Interactive Dialogues, advance emerging initiatives, and identify opportunities to accelerate implementation towards the Conference and beyond.

The UAE highlighted Egypt’s contribution to preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference, including its role as co-chair along with Japan of the Interactive Dialogue on ‘Water for Planet’, and expressed appreciation to all co-chairs, Member States and stakeholders for their efforts through the process. The six Dialogues will bring countries and stakeholders together to identify practical solutions, strengthen partnerships, and mobilize the finance, technology, and capacity needed to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water and sanitation for all. 

On the sidelines of Cairo Water Week, H.E. Balalaa also held bilateral meetings to advance discussions towards the 2026 UN Water Conference, ensuring it serves as a turning point on the global water agenda; which included discussions with H.E. Professor Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Arab Republic of Egypt; H.E. Engineer Raed Abu Al-Soud, Minister of Water and Irrigation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Meike van Ginneken, Water Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and Antti Rautavaara, Special Envoy for Water of the Republic of Finland. 

His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, welcomed ministers and heads of delegations participating in the ninth edition of Cairo Water Week 2026 at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, in the presence of Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Sewilam, and H.E. Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates. At the meeting H.E. Balalaa emphasized the importance of elevating water to the highest level of political attention; highlighting that the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi will be a critical opportunity for Heads of State to reenforce their commitment towards international cooperation on water.

During sessions at Cairo Water Week, the UAE also invited businesses, investors, innovators, researchers, youth and other stakeholders to participate in The Oasis, an open-to-all space alongside the UN Conference program. Through dynamic programming, immersive exhibitions, and country pavilions, The Oasis will showcase water solutions, connect innovators with potential partners and investors, and help promising ideas move towards implementation and scale.
To register and learn more about the 2026 UN Water Conference and The Oasis, please visit: www.unwaterconferenceuae.com/en.