Abu Dhabi expands global water resilience partnerships

Abu Dhabi is strengthening international partnerships on water and energy resilience as it seeks to translate its integrated resource-management model into practical cooperation with governments, regulators, researchers and technology companies worldwide.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy used World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm to present the emirate’s approach to protecting water supplies, improving energy efficiency and building infrastructure capable of maintaining essential services amid climate, population and economic pressures.

The delegation was led by Dr Abdullah Humaid Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Department of Energy, alongside senior officials from the energy sector. Meetings were held with government representatives, international organisations, academic institutions, regulators and industry leaders, with discussions focused on potential partnerships covering infrastructure planning, regulation, technology and resource efficiency.

World Water Week, held in Stockholm from August 23 to 27 under the theme “Water for People and Progress”, brought policymakers and specialists together as governments prepare for the United Nations Water Conference scheduled in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 10.

Al Jarwan told a ministerial session that water availability alone could not guarantee security. The greater challenge was creating resilient systems capable of using available resources efficiently while maintaining affordability and sustainability.

“Water abundance does not necessarily mean water security,” he said, describing resilience as the ability to diversify resources and build systems that remain secure, sustainable and affordable.

Abu Dhabi has spent more than five decades developing a diversified water system in an environment where natural freshwater resources are limited. Its approach combines desalination, groundwater management, recycled water, strategic reserves and measures designed to reduce consumption and improve efficiency.

The Department of Energy has increasingly linked water management with electricity planning because desalination, pumping, treatment and distribution require substantial amounts of power. The shift towards integrated planning is also intended to support Abu Dhabi’s economic expansion without allowing rising demand for electricity and water to undermine resource security.

At Stockholm, the department presented its Water and Energy Resilience Framework, which connects policy, regulation, infrastructure planning and technological innovation. The framework is intended to improve system preparedness, maintain continuity of essential services and help authorities respond more effectively to disruptions.

The framework was formally launched during Abu Dhabi’s Water and Energy Majlis in June. It forms part of a broader policy direction that treats power and water networks as interconnected systems rather than separately managed utilities.

That approach has also been incorporated into Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Water Sector Strategy, which sets priorities for supply security, groundwater protection, infrastructure development and more efficient consumption. Authorities are seeking to reduce costs while increasing the use of advanced technology, artificial intelligence and data-based management across the sector.

Digitalisation has become another major component of the strategy. Abu Dhabi has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to integrate energy and water information, allowing authorities to use operational and historical data for planning, system optimisation and performance monitoring.

Pressure on water systems is expected to intensify globally as population growth, urbanisation, climate change and industrial development increase demand. Billions of people still lack safely managed drinking water and sanitation, while governments face growing competition among households, agriculture and industry for limited supplies.

Al Jarwan said successful solutions should be capable of moving across national boundaries, arguing that partnerships and innovation would be central to converting water-security ambitions into measurable results.

The Stockholm discussions therefore concentrated heavily on cooperation models that could scale proven technologies and management practices. These include more efficient desalination, expanded water reuse, intelligent networks, monitoring systems, infrastructure resilience and regulatory approaches capable of attracting long-term investment.

Abu Dhabi is positioning the December UN Water Conference as a platform for accelerating such initiatives. The meeting, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, will focus on speeding progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks universal access to water and sanitation alongside sustainable management of water resources.

The emirate will simultaneously host Abu Dhabi Water & Power Week from December 8 to 10 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. The programme is expected to bring together governments, investors, technology companies and specialists to examine water scarcity, reuse, renewable-powered desalination, smart infrastructure and new financing mechanisms.

The Department of Energy also hosted a stakeholder gathering in Stockholm with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, using the meeting to expand dialogue with prospective partners ahead of the December events.