Today's Edition
Batool Ghaith (Abu Dhabi)
At the upcoming UN Water Conference in December, the UAE will host a large zone called The Oasis, extending opportunities beyond the main event’s interactive dialogues, said Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability.
The Oasis is designed to complement the UN-led Blue Zone, with the concept being similar to the Green Zone hosted by the UAE during COP28 in Dubai.
The goal is to spark more conversations, connections and commitments, Balalaa said during a media briefing on Monday. “[It] will be an embodiment of what can happen when people, ideas and solutions come together to create new possibilities.”
Inspired by the traditional oasis, where groundwater reaching the surface creates a fertile environment capable of sustaining people and nature, the new zone is intended as a space for connection, collaboration and co-creation, he added.
“In the desert, an oasis is where water creates life. At the 2026 UN Water Conference, The Oasis will be where water brings people, innovations, ideas and solutions together to create a better future for all.”
Across the three days, it will host programming, immersive pavilions and exhibitions focused on the relationship between water and communities, ecosystems, innovation and economies.
First Abu Dhabi Water and Power Week
Among the major initiatives taking place within The Oasis will be the inaugural Abu Dhabi Water and Power Week, led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy.
Balalaa said the initiative demonstrated how closely connected water is to utilities, regulation, investment and technology, and how decisions on water infrastructure and investment directly affect economic resilience and competitiveness.
“Abu Dhabi Water and Power Week will reinforce how the infrastructure and investment decisions we make around water directly influence the resilience and competitiveness of our economies,” he said.
The first edition of the Department of Energy event will specifically revolve around water, supporting the mission of the wider UN conference.
Balalaa said The Oasis would also provide opportunities to hear from senior government officials, international experts and thought leaders, young pioneers, innovators and academics.
“The broader objective is for Abu Dhabi to become the point at which discussions about water translate into delivery,” he said.
