SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Experts say that Abu Dhabi's patient capital, policy coordination and technical expertise could make it a leading centre for turning global water priorities into investable projects, as governments prepare for the upcoming 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
The conference will be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 10, with a focus on moving water commitments from policy discussions to implementation and ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Omar Saif, Vice President of the Global Climate Finance Centre, pointed out that water security should be treated as an economic priority because reliable supplies underpin food production, energy generation, public health and industrial activity.
"Water security is best understood as the foundation of economic resilience, not as an environmental concern sitting to one side of it," he told Aletihad.
Reliable water supplies support food production, energy generation, public health and industrial activity, making investment in water systems central to long-term economic stability, Saif said.
He also stressed the need to improve how water-related risks are assessed and financed. "The barrier has rarely been a shortage of capital; it has been a shortage of a bankable, well-structured pipeline."
Saif believes that Abu Dhabi can help close that gap through its sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors and experience in desalination, water reuse and efficiency. Its ability to convene governments, development institutions and investors could also help move projects from planning to implementation.
He pointed to the Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform, recently launched by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, which aims to mobilise $2 billion for water projects, including an initial $1 billion commitment between 2026 and 2030.
"Abu Dhabi brings a rare combination of attributes to water finance. It holds deep pools of patient capital, through its sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors, that can match the long horizons of water infrastructure demands," he said.
"Together, these qualities make Abu Dhabi an ideal leader and convenor for advancing water issues, and water financing in particular."
Saif added that national investment platforms can play a key role in turning water ambitions into bankable projects by aligning policy, regulation and investment opportunities.
"A platform aggregates fragmented demand into a coherent, prioritised pipeline, aligning government policy, regulatory reform, and a portfolio of investable opportunities behind a single point of coordination," he said.
He explained that such platforms can also help reduce investment barriers, strengthen investor confidence and accelerate the delivery of water infrastructure. "The model has worked in energy; applying it to water gives countries a credible route from ambition to delivery."
Accelerating Large-scale Water Initiatives
ADGM Academy is using its Financing the Water Transition webinar series, organised with the Global Climate Finance Centre, to bring governments, financial institutions, development organisations and infrastructure specialists into the same conversation.
The latest session, titled "Financing the Water Transition: Country Water Compacts & National Investment Platforms", examined how key stakeholders can assume more proactive roles in accelerating large-scale water initiatives.
Ali Al Mehairi, Senior Executive Director of Business Enablement at ADGM Academy, said that future finance leaders must go beyond traditional financial expertise and understand the links between water security, climate resilience, infrastructure and economic growth.
"The water transition calls for leaders who can understand not only capital markets and investment structures, but also the broader relationship across water security, climate resilience, infrastructure development, and long-term economic competitiveness," he told Aletihad.
As Country Water Compacts and national investment platforms gain traction, finance professionals will play a larger role in converting government priorities into projects that can draw investment from both the public and private sectors.
This would require a long-term approach to risk, public value and infrastructure planning, Al Mehairi explained.
"Financing water solutions requires a long-term view, a strong understanding of risk, and the ability to align investment with public value," he said.
"The challenge is not simply to fund projects, but to help shape the frameworks, partnerships, and investment pathways that make large-scale water financing possible."
Al Mehairi added that, through its collaboration with GCFC, ADGM Academy is preparing professionals for that role by developing expertise across finance, sustainability and innovation, while giving participants access to policymakers and institutions working directly on water investment.
"ADGM Academy is not only preparing individuals for the future of finance; it is helping shape the leadership mindset and ecosystem dialogue needed to finance solutions that are strategically aligned, scalable, and relevant to national development priorities," he added.