The Ministry of Foreign Affairs signs a memorandum of understanding with the World Economic Forum to enhance cooperation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a memorandum of understanding with the World Economic Forum Foundation to enhance institutional cooperation in order to support efforts to prepare for the United Nations Water Conference 2026, which the UAE will host at the end of this year.
The signing took place in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Member of the World Economic Forum Leadership Council, Borg Brende, CEO of the World Economic Forum “Davos”, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “BlackRock”, and Interim Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the World Economic Forum, Larry Fink.
The memorandum was signed by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Affairs, Abdullah Al-Alaa, with the World Economic Forum Foundation, with the aim of strengthening institutional cooperation in order to support efforts to prepare for the holding of the United Nations Water Conference 2026, which the UAE will host at the end of this year.
The memorandum of understanding, which was signed at the Davos Convention Center, is a prominent step in consolidating relations between the UAE and the World Economic Forum Foundation, and confirms the extent of the commitment of both parties to strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors, and mobilizing efforts in various sectors in order to achieve the goals of the conference, with a particular focus on accelerating the pace of progress in water-related measures within the framework of Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Balalaa said: This partnership aims to accelerate the transition from commitments to implementation, as the partnership with the World Economic Forum allows us to open horizons for close cooperation between the public and private sectors in order to formulate outcomes, mobilize investments, and achieve tangible results during the conference and beyond.
For his part, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, Sebastian Bocop, stressed that water constitutes an essential foundation for economic resilience, climate stability, and human well-being. He pointed out that this partnership with the UAE will contribute to enhancing the comprehensive approach to managing water systems, by mobilizing multi-sectoral leadership, accelerating the pace of investments, and opening paths to expand the scope of solutions.
He added that the common goal is to ensure that the 2026 UN Water Conference achieves a tangible impact in the most important areas.
The World Economic Forum provides a neutral, non-profit global platform that provides insights that contribute to establishing constructive relationships between leaders in the sectors of politics, business, education, civil society and others.
The UAE and the World Economic Forum realize that water is an essential element for productivity in various major economic sectors, as 60% of the global gross domestic product depends on the availability of water in sufficient quantity and quality. Currently, about 90% of investments in the field of water are financed by the public sector, while private sector contributions remain limited and represent only a small portion of the necessary investments in this sector.
This partnership aims to enhance cooperation between the public and private sectors throughout the preparation for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, and to benefit from commercial expertise and entrepreneurship in the private sector to expand the scope of innovation in water technologies, and mobilize investments across various sectors.
The 2026 United Nations Water Conference is a pivotal global milestone, as it focuses on practical implementation to transform ambitions into tangible impact and achieve sustainable water access for all. By bringing together key actors from business, finance, civil society, philanthropy, and the government sector, along with the forum’s multi-sector networks, this partnership will contribute to building a common agenda to implement the conference’s goals.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Economic Forum will begin activating the memorandum of understanding by organizing a high-level session entitled: “Activating financing and investment in the field of water: enhancing cooperation between the public and private sectors in preparation for holding the United Nations Water Conference 2026.” This session will be one of several discussions scheduled during the year 2026, as it will contribute to identifying ways to implement the memorandum of understanding, charting paths to expand the scope of financing the water sector and finding technical solutions through establishing partnerships between the public and private sectors, in a way that supports achieving the goal of sustainable access to water for all.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding represents an initial pivotal step in the process of preparing for the United Nations Water Conference 2026. The visions and outputs drawn from these dialogues will contribute directly to the high-level preparatory meeting scheduled to be held in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, in the period 26-27 January 2026, and will also contribute to formulating the UAE’s road map for hosting the United Nations Water Conference at the end of 2026.