Arab Water Actions: Accelerating Resilience for a Better Future

Name: 7th Arab Water Forum (7th AWF)
Start: 2026-06-28 00:00:00 UTC
End: 2026-07-01 00:00:00 UTC

As a flagship strategic event within Saudi Water Week 2026, held under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), the 7th Arab Water Forum (AWF7), convened by the Arab Water Council in partnership with the League of Arab States, continues to position itself as the region’s leading triennial platform dedicated to advancing water security, resilience, and regional cooperation.

The upcoming seventh edition taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 28 June – 1 July 2026, is designed to move decisively from dialogue to implementation by translating ministerial and political commitments into technically sound governance reforms, bankable and investable solutions, and measurable, impact-driven outcomes, providing a clear pathway for delivery, accountability, and investment across the Arab region.

Furthermore, the Forum offers a powerful platform to spotlight landmark and pipeline water projects shaping the region’s future infrastructure, while enabling technology and equipment solution providers to gain direct insight into sector priorities, investment trends, and operational requirements. It creates an ideal environment for collaboration, business development, and strategic partnerships that can accelerate the delivery of transformative water initiatives across the Arab region.

The 7th Arab Water Forum is designed to deliver concrete, measurable and actionable outcomes that drive regional water security forward, with key objectives to:

Launch a regionally endorsed Arab Water Actions Roadmap with clear priorities and implementation pathways

Scale Arab-led technological, social, and nature-based innovations

Strengthen cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships and stimulate investment by connecting water and climate projects with public and private financiers

Showcase international leading technologies, innovation and best practices

Issue a high-level Ministerial Declaration endorsing collective action for regional water resilience

Key Themes & Topics

The Forum’s agenda is structured around three central pillars

💦 Climate Resilience & Adaptation

Advancing climate-resilient water systems by positioning non-conventional water resources—desalination, reuse, and stormwater—as strategic assets, prioritising efficiency, risk management, nature-based solutions, and community-led adaptation.

💦 Cooperation & Inclusive Governance

Addressing the transboundary shared water, institutional, legal, and partnership arrangements required for effective water governance. It emphasizes cooperation on shared surface and groundwater systems, inclusive decision‑making, and trust‑building through transparency, accountability, and evidence‑based management.

💦 Innovation & Sustainable Investment

Promoting and mobilizing finance mechanisms and technology to accelerate resilient water and WEFE infrastructure. It will emphasize the development of bankable project pipelines through blended finance, climate funds, PPP/BOT models, and green instruments, while showcasing digital solutions such as AI, IoT, and digital twins for system optimization. It also addresses enabling conditions, including regulatory clarity, risk-sharing, and strong public–private partnerships

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Ministers and senior officials of water, environment, agriculture, finance, and planning.

Representatives from development banks, climate funds, and private investment firms.

Representatives from civil society, water user associations, and local communities.

Utility leaders, engineers, and technology providers.

Academics, researchers, and innovation incubators.

Water and Sustainable development stakeholders in the Arab region

Regional and international organizations.

Private sector and business community representatives

Arab and international experts

Learning Outcomes

Hear directly from senior government officials from across the region about their national water strategy and visions

Learn about the regional public-private partnership programs to strengthen the role of the private sector by unlocking state driven investment

Raise your brand awareness as one of the leading companies in the sector to help stakeholders and project owners achieve their targets

Learn about the challenges faced by the region’s key organizations and identify how you can provide them with customized solutions to help them overcome them

Discuss with the top experts about the future of sustainable water resources in the region

Take part in the huge national and international water programs and investment opportunities in the Arab region

The Forum opens by establishing high-level political direction. During the Opening Ceremony and High-Level Ministerial Dialogue, Ministers will outline national and regional commitments aligned with the Forum’s core pillars of climate resilience, cooperation, and innovation.

Day 2 converts these commitments into practical pathways. The morning features plenaries on Regional Actions for Water Resilience and Transboundary Water Cooperation. The afternoon includes parallel technical sessions on Technology & Digital Innovation, Innovative Finance, and Water-Related Disasters. The day concludes with regional dialogues on scaling innovative solutions and community-led, nature-based approaches, alongside the Arab Water Council Board Meeting.

The final day formats the discussions into actionable plans. It starts with interactive sessions on Inclusive Water Governance and Arab Cooperation for the Global Water Agenda. A final plenary on “Water for All” ensures commitments to Equity, Access, and Community Resilience are solidified. The Forum ends by formally adopting the “Arab Water Actions Roadmap,” a concrete, time-bound implementation pathway for regional water security.

Reflecting the broad partnership base of the event, the Forum will bring together Arab line ministries, alongside a diverse group of international stakeholders. Representatives from United Nations agencies, regional development banks, and global climate funds will join the dialogue with technical experts from international consortia and academic institutions. Their participation is expected to strengthen cross-border cooperation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and align the Forum’s outcomes with global water and climate agendas.

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables

An "Arab Water Actions Roadmap" outlining priority actions and implementation pathways.
A high-level Ministerial Declaration endorsing the roadmap and collective action.
Targeted portfolio of bankable regional project initiatives.
A strengthened Network of Practitioners and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Detailed Forum Proceedings with summaries and recommendations.

7th Arab Water Forum (7th AWF)

Arab Water Actions: Accelerating Resilience for a Better Future

Location

Managed by

Arab Water Council