The UAE has advanced global efforts on water security during high-level engagements at the 2026 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, WAM reported, as attention builds ahead of next year’s UN Water Conference.
Water security featured prominently at the meetings, alongside the launch of the World Bank’s new initiative Water Forward, aimed at expanding access to safe water by mobilizing public and private financing for infrastructure and innovation.
The UAE delegation, led by Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, held a series of meetings with senior US officials, multilateral development banks and private sector leaders to build support for the 2026 UN Water Conference and strengthen global cooperation on water challenges.
Balalaa met officials from the US State Department, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, as well as leaders of the World Bank Group and African Development Bank, with discussions focused on investment, technology and coordinated international action.
He also participated in forums hosted by the Atlantic Council and the US Chamber of Commerce, where stakeholders discussed scaling up financing for water infrastructure and increasing private sector involvement.
Balalaa said the UAE, together with co-host Senegal, is working to build momentum toward the 2026 UN Water Conference and called for practical, scalable solutions to address global water challenges.
The UAE has been leading international consultations over the past two years to widen engagement in the conference process, which aims to accelerate progress on UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.
Further preparatory consultations are expected ahead of the conference, which will bring together governments, financial institutions, civil society and private sector stakeholders to push for implementation-focused outcomes.
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