H.E. Abdulla Balalaa in Sustainability Magazine: water and food resilience in the UAE
In an interview with Sustainability Magazine, H.E. Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, sets out how the UAE is turning water scarcity into a driver of innovation and investment, and why water and food security have to be tackled together.
He points out that every stage of the food system depends on water, with agriculture accounting for around 72% of global freshwater withdrawals. He highlights Abu Dhabi projects that put this into practice: an AI-powered smart meter project helping farmers in Al Wathba manage irrigation, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture’s work on salt-tolerant crops, and the AGWA cluster, which links water technology, agritech, and investors.
Looking ahead to the 2026 UN Water Conference, H.E. Balalaa calls on businesses and investors to move from recognising water risk to financing bankable projects, noting that the Conference will hold the first Interactive Dialogue dedicated to Investments for Water. “The opportunity is clear, now we must finance and deliver it,” he says.
