Abu Dhabi to Welcome the World at the 2026 UN Water Conference this December

The UAE and Senegal will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference at the ADNEC Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi from 8–10 December 2026. Visitors, exhibitors and media are now invited to register to participate in the first UN Conference dedicated to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6), focused on accelerating global action on water and advancing progress towards its delivery. The Conference is expected to welcome thousands of participants and bring together leading water innovators and thinkers from around the world.

Registration is now open for “The Oasis,” the non-accredited zone hosted by the UAE at the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal, the 2026 UN Water Conference is dedicated to accelerating the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The 2026 UN Water Conference will feature two zones, the UN-accredited Blue Zone and The Oasis, led by the UAE and open to all. The Oasis will bring ideas, innovation and people together to turn ambition to action. Investors to thought leaders, innovators to policymakers and thematic experts to the brightest young minds are invited to join for three days of dynamic programming, immersive exhibitions and pavilions.

H.E. Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, said, “Our ambition for December is clear: to bring the world together on water and build a new future together. We are convening a Conference that catalyses new commitments, collaborations and a new way of thinking. Abu Dhabi will be the place where partnerships are forged, investment is mobilised, international cooperation on water is strengthened and innovative and cross-sectoral solutions gain the support they need to scale.

We want the world to leave the Conference with a shared purpose: solutions that protect lives, restore ecosystems, strengthen resilience and global economies, and help secure a sustainable water future for generations to come. 

H.E. Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability

Programming across The Oasis will drive collaboration, inspire new ideas, and demonstrate how technology, policy, finance and partnerships work together to deliver impact across water and water-dependent sectors like agriculture, energy and industry. Marquee programming in The Oasis will include the inaugural Abu Dhabi Water and Power Week (ADWPW), hosted by the Department of Energy. With its first edition focused on the water sector, Abu Dhabi Water and Power Week will focus on discussions and collaborations on the solutions, technologies and policies that will advance water use and management.

The Oasis will run alongside the UN-accredited Blue Zone, which will feature the official 2026 UN Water Conference agenda including the six Interactive Dialogues, plenaries and side events organised by Member States and accredited stakeholders.

About the 2026 UN Water Conference
Water is life. It is the foundation for human dignity, for collective stability and for prosperity. It is the invisible thread connecting everyone and everything, breathing life into our communities and our cities.

The 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, will be a global moment of convergence dedicated to implementation and action. It is the third iteration since 1977, and the first UN Conference dedicated to Sustainable Development Goal 6, ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The UAE and Senegal aspire to convene a Conference where success is measured not only by dialogue, but by practical outcomes. These include knowledge sharing, partnerships, investment, political commitments and technical solutions that improve lives, restore ecosystems and expand access to water and sanitation.

The brightest innovators, curious thinkers, catalytic pioneers and transformative policy and private sector leaders and voices are invited from across the world to join as it places water centre stage, builds momentum and harnesses the power of inclusive dialogue and co-creation to achieve transformative progress.

Every future flows from water. Abu Dhabi is where that future is built.  Registration is now open via www.unwaterconferenceuae.com. The official social media channels –LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X – will share further updates on the road to the Conference and key logistics.