2026 United Nations Water Conference
Governments, UN bodies, researchers, investors and technology providers meet in Abu Dhabi to accelerate Sustainable Development Goal 6 and move water commitments toward financed, deployable solutions.
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What you need to know
The 2026 United Nations Water Conference takes place from 8 to 10 December at ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi. Co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, it is designed to accelerate implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation while strengthening international water governance.
The venue is divided into two participation environments. The UN-led Blue Zone carries the official plenaries, side events and six interactive dialogues. The UAE-hosted Oasis is open to the public and brings innovators, investors, policymakers, companies and young leaders together through exhibitions, pavilions and programming, including the inaugural Abu Dhabi Water and Power Week.
What to expect
- Water and sanitation infrastructure, finance and governance
- Desalination, reuse, efficiency and resilient water systems
- Climate adaptation, ecosystems and the global water cycle
- Data, monitoring and technology deployment for SDG 6
Who should attend
- Government, UN and development-finance representatives
- Water utilities, infrastructure developers and technology providers
- Climate-adaptation researchers, investors and NGOs
- Startups and innovators working on treatment, reuse and monitoring
Water innovation is becoming a systems challenge spanning desalination, reuse, efficiency, watershed data, resilient infrastructure and climate adaptation. The conference combines the UN-led Blue Zone with the UAE-hosted Oasis, creating a rare interface between diplomacy, public policy, research, finance and commercial technology deployment.