New Delhi [India], November 15 (ANI): The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in New Delhi convened the UAE-India Water Roundtable, bringing together senior policymakers, think tanks, research institutions, industry representatives, civil society organisations and philanthropic foundations to explore partnerships on water security ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, an official press release stated.
The conference will be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 10.
The roundtable was hosted on Thursday by UAE Ambassador to India Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi. Participants included Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar; Centre for Policy Research Member Secretary, President and Chief Executive Officer Srinivas Chokkakula; Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Angelo George; AquaKraft Group Ventures Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Subramanya Kusnur; SM Sehgal Foundation Trustee and Chief Executive Officer Anjali Makhija; India Water Foundation President Arvind Kumar; Children's Investment Fund Foundation Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Akhil Paliath; The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Director, Water Resources Anshuman; Centre for Science and Environment Director, Water Management Division Subrata Chakraborty; and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Senior Fellow Shobha Suri.
In his welcome remarks, Al Nuaimi underlined the UAE's commitment to international cooperation on water security and highlighted India's importance as a partner in advancing global water action, the press release noted.
“Water security is a shared priority for the UAE and India, and one that will shape the resilience of our economies and communities for decades to come. As co-host of the 2026 UN Water Conference, the UAE is committed to an action-oriented Conference that accelerates progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 and turns political momentum into practical partnerships. India brings deep experience in policy, community-led approaches, and innovation. Today’s discussion has identified clear areas where UAE expertise and capital can work alongside Indian programmes, from desalination and water reuse to financing solutions at scale. We look forward to carrying these ideas to Abu Dhabi in December,” he said.
Participants discussed policy and community priorities, including the water-energy-climate nexus and community-led approaches. They also deliberated on technologies and solutions such as desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse, water-use efficiency and climate-resilient infrastructure, alongside the financing and partnerships required to take water solutions to scale.
The 2026 UN Water Conference will be the third in the UN's history, following Mar del Plata in 1977 and New York in 2023. It will also be the first to be co-hosted by two countries from the Global South, the press release added.
Focused on accelerating the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, the conference will feature national plenaries and six interactive dialogues: Water for People, Water for Prosperity, Water for Planet, Water for Cooperation, Water in Multilateral Processes and Investments for Water.
The UAE treats water as a long-term strategic priority. The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative funds the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, a five-year, USD 119 million global challenge to transform seawater desalination.
In January 2026, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development launched the Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform, which aims to mobilise USD 2 billion for water security projects in developing countries.
Since 2015, Suqia UAE has supported more than 1,000 sustainable water projects, benefiting 15 million people across 37 countries, the press release added. (ANI)
UAE Embassy convenes UAE-India Water Roundtable ahead of 2026 UN Water Conference
