UAE says it will seek water security solutions with South Korea ahead of UN conference

The United Arab Emirates has expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation with South Korea ahead of a UN water conference it will co-host this December, identifying South Korean strengths in desalination, AI, clean energy and smart water management as key solutions to the global water crisis.

Abdullah Saif Al Nuaimi, the UAE ambassador to South Korea, said in a written interview that "South Korea's active participation is crucial to the success of this conference."

The UAE will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi with Senegal from Dec. 8 to 10. The conference aims to accelerate implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, which covers access to clean water and sanitation.

Al Nuaimi said the conference "must be solution-oriented, inclusive and action-driven," with governments, international organizations, financial institutions, private companies, researchers and civil society coming together to identify solutions that can actually be put into practice.

Water security has emerged as a central challenge for the international community alongside energy and food security, as climate change, population growth and prolonged droughts converge. The Gulf region in particular continues to pour investment into large-scale desalination, yet remains one of the most water-stressed areas in the world.

That is part of why the UAE views South Korea as a key partner. Al Nuaimi said South Korean institutions, companies and researchers "can offer concrete solutions in smart water management, wastewater treatment and reuse, advanced desalination, data-driven resource management and climate-resilient infrastructure," pointing to the country's competitiveness in engineering, digital infrastructure, advanced water treatment, AI and clean technology.

Areas with the greatest potential for bilateral cooperation include desalination, smart water networks, wastewater treatment and reuse, groundwater management, water-efficient agricultural technology and climate-resilient infrastructure. Combining the UAE's on-the-ground experience as an arid-region country with South Korea's technological capabilities could help address water scarcity well beyond the two countries, Al Nuaimi said.

The ambassador also said water and energy cannot be separated. Desalination, water treatment, distribution and data-driven management all require stable, low-carbon power. Al Nuaimi cited the Barakah nuclear power plant, built with South Korean technology, as a prime example. The Arab world's first nuclear power plant, Barakah now generates clean electricity equivalent to roughly a quarter of the UAE's power demand. "Barakah's success demonstrates what the UAE and Korea can achieve when long-term vision meets technical excellence," he said.

AI was also highlighted as a critical technology for strengthening water resilience. Applying AI to demand forecasting, leak detection, desalination plant optimization, asset management and emergency planning could significantly improve water management efficiency, Al Nuaimi said.

The UAE has already made water resilience a central pillar of its national climate strategy. Through its UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, the country is pursuing reduced water demand, expanded treated-water reuse, improved storage capacity and greater resilience across its water systems. At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, the UAE also elevated water as a major theme on the climate agenda.

Since then, the UAE has launched the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and, earlier this year, unveiled the Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform. The initiative aims to mobilize $2 billion to strengthen the water resilience of about 10 million people by 2030.

Al Nuaimi said cooperation between the two countries must not stop at declarations after the UN Water Conference. "The focus after the conference must be on implementation," he said. "We need to move from dialogue to projects, from ideas to pilots, and from pilots to scalable solutions."

"This conference should be a catalyst for opening a new generation of UAE-Korea cooperation," he added, saying the two sides could develop concrete collaborative projects in AI-driven water management, smart desalination, water reuse, climate-resilient infrastructure and smart agriculture.

Al Nuaimi also called on South Korean companies and research institutions to engage with the UAE's water innovation ecosystem. "Water resilience is not a challenge any one country can solve alone," he said. "By combining Korea's innovation capabilities with the UAE's partnership and commitment to implementation, we can develop solutions that benefit communities far beyond our two countries."