IDRA, Arab Fund, And World Bank Group Convene Landmark Roundtable On Financing Water Projects In Arab Countries

High-level colloquium unites governments, multilateral institutions, and private sector leaders to accelerate investment in water security across the Middle East and North Africa

The International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA), in partnership with the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) and the World Bank Group, concluded a landmark two-day Roundtable on Financing Water Projects in Arab Countries at the Arab Fund Headquarters in Kuwait City on February 9–10, 2026.

The Roundtable brought together senior government officials in the field of water and energy, sovereign funds, multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, and leading private sector companies to chart practical pathways to create enabling environments and de-risking projects to mobilize the capital needed to address water scarcity across the MENA region, where demand is projected to exceed supply by 50 per cent by 2030 and needing an estimated $500B USD of investment.

Over two days of intensive dialogue, stakeholders engaged in structured sessions spanning public–private partnership delivery models, multilateral financing strategies, private-sector innovation, thematic working groups on desalination and water reuse technologies, and dedicated country-level roundtables designed to match real-world demand solutions.

A Call to Action at the Highest Levels
The Opening Session set an ambitious tone, with welcome remarks from Dr. Imed Limam, Director of Operations at the Arab Fund; Shannon McCarthy, Secretary General of IDRA; and Azhar Iqbal Hussain, Country Manager of the World Bank Group’s Kuwait Country Office. Keynote addresses were delivered by H.E. Ahmed Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, and Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Sheikh, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Local Content at the Saudi Water Authority, underscores the strategic priority that Gulf states are placing on water infrastructure investment.

Governments as Enablers of Bankable Water Projects
A cornerstone session moderated by the World Bank’s Adnan Ghosheh and Floris Dalemans brought together senior officials from Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, and Palestine to examine the policy, regulatory, and contractual frameworks that governments must establish to create an enabling environment for public–private partnerships in desalination and water reuse.

Multilateral and Development Finance Perspectives
In a dedicated session moderated by Naoll Mary of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Board member of the IDRA, representatives from the Saudi Fund for Development, the Green Climate Fund, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the European Union outlined their respective financing priorities, instruments, and emerging approaches to mobilizing capital for water infrastructure. The session underscored the potential of blended finance, risk mitigation mechanisms, and innovative green finance instruments, including climate bonds and sukuks, to accelerate investment at scale.

Private Sector: Innovation, Finance, and Scale
An extended two-part roundtable moderated convened senior leaders from across the water value chain—including Acciona, ACWA, Almar Water Solutions, Aquatech, Ayesa, Danfoss, Enoia, Future Pipe Industries, Gradiant, Lantania, Metito Utilities, the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), TAQA Water Solutions, Tawzea, Veolia, Veralto, Fisia Italimpiant - Webuild, and Xylem. Through these high-level spotlights and moderated dialogue, participants highlighted emerging trends in desalination and reuse technology, innovative financing mechanisms, and PPP project delivery models shaping next-generation water infrastructure. The discussion explored how the private sector is advancing resilient, bankable, and scalable solutions, including blended infrastructure models that integrate technology, operations, finance, and risk-sharing in many parts of the world.

From Dialogue to Deal Flow: Thematic and Country Tables
Day Two shifted from strategic dialogue to structured action. Morning sessions featured five thematic tables covering desalination regulation and technology, industrial water reuse, the PPP- municipal and enabling environment, and project financing. Followed by a session of dedicated country tables, each led by a senior utility or regulatory representative, enabling targeted business-to-government and business-to-business engagement to identify investment-ready opportunities in municipal, industrial, and agricultural water sectors.

Voices of the Roundtable
“This Roundtable demonstrates that the will to invest in the MENA region’s water future exists at every level: from governments, sovereign funds, and multilateral institutions to the private sector innovators delivering solutions on the ground. IDRA is committed to ensuring that the momentum from these two days translates into bankable projects, stronger partnerships, and lasting water security for the region, and we will continue these conversations at the 2026 IDRA World Congress: Driving Water Sustainability Through Innovation, November 1-5, in Riyadh, held under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and hosted by the Saudi Water Authority (SWA).” — Shannon McCarthy, Secretary General, IDRA

“What made this Roundtable truly distinctive was its focus on the enabling environment—the policy frameworks, regulatory clarity, and risk allocation structures that ultimately determine whether capital flows into water infrastructure." — Jon Freedman, President, IDRA, and Global Head of Policy & Stakeholders, Veralto

Key Outcomes and Next Steps
The Roundtable yielded several significant outcomes:

• Enhanced multilateral coordination among major development finance institutions: the Saudi Fund for Development, Green Climate Fund, BADEA, Kuwait Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Development Fund, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Saudi Fund for Development, The World Bank Group and the European Union—on shared priorities for water sector financing.
• Renewed emphasis on innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, climate bonds, sukuks, and risk mitigation instruments to mobilize private capital for water infrastructure.
• Consensus on the enabling environment required for successful PPP delivery in desalination and water reuse, including regulatory clarity, equitable risk allocation, and streamlined procurement frameworks.
• A commitment to sustained engagement, with the three co-organizing institutions pledging to maintain momentum through follow-up initiatives and continued collaboration toward the IDRA World Congress 2026 in Riyadh, November 1-5, 2026.

About the Organizers
The International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA) is a leading global membership association for desalination, water reuse, and energy sector professionals, dedicated to advancing sustainable water solutions through knowledge exchange, industry collaboration, and advocacy. IDRA is a member of UN Water and the FAO WASAG, holds UN ECOSOC, UNFCCC status, established in 1973.

The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) is a regional Arab financial institution that finances economic and social development projects in Arab countries through concessionary loans, grants, and technical assistance.

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, working in more than 100 countries to help people help themselves and their environment. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice supports countries in achieving water security for all.