UAE to host fifth Arab Water Forum in September

Abu Dhabi: The Arab Water Council is getting ready for the fifth edition of the Arab Water Forum (AWF), to be held here in both online and physical form and under the theme ‘Arab Water Security for Peace and Sustainable Development’, from September 21-23, 2021.

The forum will be held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and supported by the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt (MWRI), in cooperation with national, regional and international partners.

The conference will shed light on some of the key topics such as Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus, Climate Change Impact on Arab Water Security, Water Desalination as a Strategic Option for Sustainable Arab Water Security, Sharing Water and Benefits for Peace and Development, Effective Water Governance towards Achieving Peace and Stability, Hydro-diplomacy and Water Politics in Transboundary Water Management, Riparian Partnerships in Developing and Managing shared Water Resources and Governing Laws, among others.

More than 800 high-level participants, including ministers and undersecretaries, high-ranked government officials, public and private sector organisations from 22 countries are expected to attend the three-day forum that will witness more than 50 experts discussing water scarcity and sustainable development across the region.

During the event, the winners of the 2021 Arab Water Prize for ‘Creativity and Innovation in the field of Water Science’, awarded to institutions, scientists and other distinguished contributors in research and development in the field of Non-Conventional Water Resources, will be announced.

During the preparatory meeting, which was attended by more than 80 participants, Professor Mahmoud Abu Zeid, the AWC president, said: “This meeting aims to discuss the main agenda of the fifth Arab Water Forum. The 2021 edition of the Arab Water Forum will feature three days of panel sessions and scientific sessions, along with the Arab Water Expo. This year, the forum will focus on three main priorities: Arab Water Security, Cooperation across Borders, and Water for Sustainable Development.”

Dr Mohamed Al Mulla, the director of the Water Resources Department at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said: “Our primary goal, as the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, is to achieve sustainability in several fields such as energy, water, mining and industry, which are all linked to each other, to achieve the well-being and prosperity of our society. The fifth edition of the Arab Water Forum will allow us to discuss many of the important issues and to exchange visions and experiences of the attendees.”