Minister of Electricity: 99% of Kuwait's population has full access to safe drinking water
- Continuation of coordination for the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia water interconnection project
- Water resource sustainability is a shared responsibility between individuals and institutions
- UAE Ambassador: We seek to transform water ambitions into tangible investments
- Ghada Al-Taher: 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe water
The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences hosted yesterday a high-level dialogue on “A Water-Secure Future for All,” with the participation of the Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, Dr. Sabah Al-Makhzoum, ambassadors, and representatives from the United Nations and international financial institutions. This event aims to build momentum toward the UN Water Conference 2026, scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates in December next year, in partnership with Senegal.
Dr. Sabah Al-Makhzoum, Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, emphasized that water security represents one of the most prominent developmental challenges in the world. He noted that water issues are no longer limited to providing a basic life resource but are directly linked to food security, energy, economic development, health, social stability, and the capacity to cope with the effects of climate change.
This statement was made by Al-Makhzoum during the high-level dialogue “A Water-Secure Future for All,” which included representatives of governments, the diplomatic corps, international organizations, financial and research institutions, and experts and specialists in the water sector.
**Water Security Challenges**
Al-Makhzoum stated that Kuwait recognizes the importance of water security challenges, particularly given its geographical and climatic nature and the limited availability of its natural water resources. Therefore, the water sector has been accorded strategic importance, with efforts focused on developing systems for water production, transmission, storage, and distribution, as well as leveraging modern technology and enhancing operational efficiency to support supply sustainability and increase the readiness of the water system to meet current and future needs.
He added that the quality and safety of drinking water are among the state’s top priorities, alongside ensuring supply sustainability. He clarified that competent authorities apply an integrated system of monitoring and continuous testing to ensure that produced and distributed water meets approved standards and requirements.
He pointed out that Kuwait records a rate exceeding 99 percent of the population benefiting from safely managed drinking water services, according to data from the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) of the World Health Organization and UNICEF on water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.
Al-Makhzoum stressed that water sector challenges transcend national borders and cannot be addressed individually. He affirmed the importance of enhancing regional and international cooperation, exchanging expertise and experiences, developing partnerships, and utilizing technical, research, and financial solutions capable of transforming promising ideas into executable projects with tangible impact.
**Kuwait as a Model**
In her speech, Ghada Al-Taher, Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator in Kuwait, emphasized that the water issue requires cooperation from various parties. She noted that the participation of governments, the diplomatic corps, financial institutions, the private sector, and academia in the dialogue reflects the reality that “no single entity can solve the water issue alone.”
Al-Taher stated that the UN World Water Development Report indicates that none of the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under Goal 6 are on track. She explained that achieving universal access to safely managed drinking water by 2030 requires accelerating progress six times the current rate, while the sanitation sector requires a fivefold acceleration, and basic hygiene requires a threefold acceleration.
She added that approximately 2.1 billion people worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water, while about four billion people suffer from acute water scarcity for at least one month annually. She affirmed that these challenges are directly linked to health, food, livelihoods, dignity, and stability.
She clarified that Kuwait represents an important model in dealing with water scarcity, as it is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world and practically lacks renewable freshwater sources. Nevertheless, it has succeeded in meeting its needs through desalination, in addition to its contribution over more than six decades to financing water infrastructure in developing countries.
**Sustainable Development**
For his part, Dr. Matar Al-Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to Kuwait, emphasized that the dialogue represents an opportunity to exchange expertise, discuss common priorities, and formulate practical recommendations and initiatives that contribute to preparations for the UN Water Conference 2026, which the UAE will host in partnership with the Republic of Senegal in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 10 next year.
Al-Nuaimi said the conference aims to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6, which is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. He noted that the conference is the third UN water conference since 1977, following the Mar del Plata conference in 1977 and the New York conference in 2023, and the first led by two countries from the Global South.
He clarified that the conference proceedings will cover six interrelated themes: Water for People, Water for Prosperity, Water for the Planet, Water for Cooperation, the Role of Water in Multilateral Processes, and Investments in the Water Sector. This approach allows addressing water challenges from a comprehensive perspective that integrates social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
He affirmed that approximately 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water services, and about 3.4 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation services. Furthermore, about four billion people face high levels of water stress for at least one month annually. He noted that achieving Goal 6 requires accelerating progress by a factor of six to eight.
Al-Nuaimi pointed out that addressing water challenges requires an integrated approach that considers the nexus between water, food, energy, and the environment. He explained that agriculture depends on water availability, while water supply, treatment, and desalination require energy resources.
**Global Investment**
He highlighted that global investment needs for water-related infrastructure are estimated at approximately $6.7 trillion by 2030, necessitating a more ambitious and integrated international response that combines innovative financing, water use efficiency, reuse, development of sustainable technologies, enhanced scientific cooperation, and capacity building.
Al-Nuaimi outlined the UAE’s efforts in the water sector, mentioning its investments in desalination technologies, treated water reuse, and enhancing water resource management efficiency, alongside its contributions to developmental and humanitarian projects worldwide.
He clarified that the “Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform,” launched by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, aims to mobilize financing worth $2 billion, including $1 billion pledged by the Fund to be allocated between 2026 and 2030, with the goal of reaching approximately 10 million beneficiaries worldwide.
**Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative**
He also referred to the “Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative,” which aims to accelerate the development, testing, and application of innovative and sustainable technological solutions to address water scarcity and enhance international awareness of this challenge.
He affirmed that the dialogue in Kuwait provides an opportunity to benefit from participants’ expertise, particularly in desalination, scientific research, and developmental financing, and to identify areas of cooperation leading up to the Abu Dhabi conference. He expressed hope that the discussions would yield practical recommendations, pioneering initiatives, voluntary commitments, and executable investment partnerships.
He noted that the UAE will host, alongside the official UN program, the “Oasis” program, the official side event for the conference, which will showcase innovative solutions, exchange expertise, and build partnerships.
Al-Nuaimi affirmed that the ambition is for the UN Water Conference 2026 to serve as a platform for implementation, translating commitments into investments, projects, and sustainable partnerships that contribute to expanding access to water, supporting economic growth, and enhancing community prosperity.
**Diverse Participations**
The dialogue was attended by a number of high-level government officials, diplomatic representatives from Switzerland, Japan, and France, as well as representatives and experts from the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), and the University of Kuwait, among other entities.
The dialogue aims to link global water priorities with tangible action by enhancing partnerships, identifying investment and innovation opportunities, and encouraging practical commitments that could contribute to the work of the UN Water Conference in December.
Participants discussed the six themes that will form the framework for interactive dialogues during the December conference: (Water for People), (Water for Prosperity), (Water for the Planet), (Water for Cooperation), (Water in Multilateral Processes), and (Investments for Water).
Discussions also covered ways to protect the right to access water and sanitation services, enhance the water-energy-food nexus, build resilience against water-related climate risks, expand international and cross-border cooperation, translate global commitments into national policies and bankable solutions, and mobilize public and private investments in the water sector.
Participants reviewed models and experiences in water partnerships and solutions, and mechanisms for transitioning ideas and research from initial stages to executable projects, thereby supporting preparations for the UN Water Conference 2026 and contributing to accelerating progress toward achieving SDG 6, which ensures availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
The organization of this dialogue in Kuwait reflects the importance of enhancing international cooperation and partnerships in the water sector, supporting efforts to develop sustainable solutions that help address resource scarcity challenges, improve management efficiency, and ensure sustainability for future generations.
