The Saudi Water Authority (SWA) has announced the return of the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS), taking place from December 7 to 9 at The Ritz Carlton, Jeddah, as the kingdom consolidates its position at the center of the global water conversation.
The event is being held at a time when growing concerns over water scarcity and resource security is driving demand for innovation and sustainable water management solutions worldwide.
As home to one of the world’s most advanced and rapidly evolving water management ecosystems, Saudi Arabia currently operates more than 500 water production facilities across the Kingdom with total water production capacity exceeding 16.2 million cu m per day.
The kingdom is also the world’s largest producer of desalinated water and a global leader in energy-efficient desalination technologies; as such, it provides the ideal destination for this premier global gathering.
The upcoming edition is expected to grow by more than 50 percent compared to the previous year, bringing together over 10,000 participants from 140 countries, featuring 250 speakers and 150 exhibitors, said SWA in a statement.
Alongside policymakers and utility operators, the platform will unite investors, researchers, technology companies, startups, and industrial leaders. Crucially, this edition will place a sharp focus on the governance of water, bringing together regulators and institutional frameworks to establish transparent, resilient policies that safeguard water resources while ensuring commercial viability.
Hosted by the Saudi Water Authority, the event reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing leadership in the global water sector, particularly across scalable water financing models, public-private partnerships, and large-scale infrastructure investments.
Eng. Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al Abdulkareem, the President of the Saudi Water Authority, affirmed that the event continues to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for water innovation.
The achievements of previous editions, marked by broad international participation, strategic partnerships, and advanced innovations, reflect the growing global confidence in the Kingdom’s role in shaping the future of water sustainability, he stated.
Al Abdulkareem said the upcoming edition represents a more ambitious phase aimed at expanding international collaboration and accelerating the transformation of innovation into practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
This year’s edition introduces a strategic vision that moves beyond traditional frameworks, aiming to build a global ecosystem for water innovation and investment, anchored in the Kingdom and connected to the world. A primary objective of IDWS 2026 is enabling sustainable financial partnerships and driving business growth by actively connecting entrepreneurs and innovators with venture capital and institutional investors.
Furthermore, the event places a deep emphasis on developing human and leadership capabilities within the water sector, ensuring the cultivation of a next-generation workforce equipped to handle complex water governance, commercial asset management, and high-level decision-making, he noted.
IDWS 2026 is being designed as an integrated platform focused on implementation and commercial outcomes. Alongside the conference programme, the event will feature live demonstrations, venture capital matching zones, startup pitch platforms, investor engagement roundtables, and closed-door strategic sessions aimed at accelerating project financing and delivery.
According to SWA, the exhibition will showcase the full economic spectrum of water innovation - from cost-efficient desalination technologies and AI-driven asset management to climate-resilient financial infrastructure, circular economy funding solutions, and giga-project portfolio management.
Sector-focused discussions will also explore the critical role of water equity across energy, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and urban development, highlighting the growing intersection between robust governance, water pricing, and macroeconomic growth, it stated.
By bringing together government leaders, global CEOs, operators, technology providers, investors, and researchers within a single platform, IDWS 2026 aims to help bridge the gap between financial capital and operational execution, creating an environment where projects, commercial partnerships, and investment opportunities can move forward in real time, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
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