The International Desalination and Water Reuse World Congress (IDRA) 2024, hosted by the Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi (DoE) under the theme ‘Addressing Water Scarcity’ brought together global decision-makers, industry experts, and innovators at the highly anticipated Leaders Summit.
The event today featured a dedicated programme for leadership across sectors, providing an exclusive platform for actionable discussions, insights, and collaborative opportunities to tackle efforts towards global water resilience.
Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, the DoE’s Chairman, highlighted the importance of collaboration and innovation during the opening remarks: “Leadership is about speaking from the heart and staying true to what you believe in. To lead in the water sector, we must first commit to learning, collaboration, and innovation. I encourage both private and government entities to embrace a win-win mindset.”
He further emphasised the interconnectedness of sustainable development, “At the Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi, our mission is to further strengthen our community and society, focusing on both the people who drive progress and the land that sustains us. While the DoE may be just one part of the UAE’s leadership in the water sector, we are deeply connected to the vision of ensuring a sustainable future for both people and the environment. We have grown rapidly and earned the trust of our stakeholders, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding this trust through progress, responsibility, and innovation in Abu Dhabi and globally.”
Sponsored by TAQA Water Solutions, IDRA World Congress 2024 Leaders’ Summit featured a dynamic agenda designed to address the intersecting challenges of climate change, water scarcity, and sustainability. The session on Green Financing for Water Security examined innovative funding mechanisms, to enable scalable, sustainable solutions to water scarcity.
Sharing their bold ideas and visions, industry leaders spoke at a colloquium for Corporate Leadership in Addressing Water Security. The series of talks featured diverse perspectives on industry challenges and spotlighted innovative corporate approaches to tackling water challenges globally. Over 35 CEOs were in attendance for the session including representatives from Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative; Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC); LG Water Solutions and Toray Industries who shared their impactful insights that will be published as a collective white paper.
“As new technologies introduce the future of global water scarcity solutions, the IDRA Leaders Summit serves as a critical opportunity for uniting decision-makers and industry leaders to accelerate sustainable, impactful solutions,” said Shannon McCarthy, Secretary General of IDRA. “This exclusive gathering fosters cross-sector collaboration and innovative thinking, empowering leaders to address the complex challenges of water security and resilience with actionable strategies to drive lasting global change.”
Ongoing until December 12th , the Congress , held at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, is offering a range of experiences for executive attendees showcasing Abu Dhabi’s existing accomplishments in water scarcity. Dedicated tours will be offered to key sites that highlight Abu Dhabi’s leadership in sustainability and innovation. These include the Al Taweelah Power and Desalination Complex, soon to host the world’s largest RO water desalination plant; Masdar City, a pioneering sustainable urban community addressing climate change; and Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Park, one of the world’s largest operational solar plants.