His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), underscored that water security constitutes a strategic priority for GCC member states, transcending environmental concerns to intersect directly with human security, economic prosperity, food security, and energy security, serving as an indispensable pillar of societal stability and resilience.
His Excellency’s remarks were delivered during his participation in a panel session titled "Water as a Strategic Imperative: From Global Challenges to Collective Action", organised by the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United Nations (UN) on Friday (25 September 2026), held on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America.
At the outset of his address, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his appreciation to the Permanent Mission of the UAE for convening this vital dialogue and maintaining water at the forefront of the international agenda. He explained that while water scarcity has posed a continuous challenge to the Gulf region for decades, adding that it has simultaneously driven GCC states to innovate, invest, collaborate, and pursue forward-looking planning.
In this context, His Excellency highlighted the extensive expertise accrued by member states across desalination, wastewater reuse, demand management, and the deployment of advanced technologies, alongside reinforcing the nexus between water, energy, food security, climate resilience, and sustainable economic development.
"Technology alone is insufficient to guarantee water security," His Excellency stated, underscoring the critical importance of regional cooperation and joint action. He pointed to the collective mechanisms, policies, and programmes developed by GCC nations to safeguard water resources, highlighting ongoing initiatives to explore and develop a regional water grid interconnection. Such strategic integration, he noted, will significantly enhance supply security, elevate collective readiness, and reinforce joint response capabilities during emergencies and water crises.
Furthermore, His Excellency the Secretary General indicated that compounding challenges linked to climate change, demographic growth, economic transitions, and escalating demand for natural resources exert mounting pressure on water systems globally. He stressed that shared water challenges demand shared solutions, adding that multilateral cooperation in this domain fosters mutual trust, mitigates collective vulnerabilities, unlocks economic opportunities, and bolsters regional stability.
His Excellency also underlined the necessity of harnessing innovation and cutting-edge technologies—including artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, smart water management systems, and renewable energy—to maximise operational efficiency and resilience. He called for establishing collaborative financing models that bring together governments, development institutions, research centres, and the private sector to translate promising solutions into scalable, and bankable infrastructure projects.
Concluding his address, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General underlined that the UN 2026 Water Conference, to be co-hosted by the UAE and the Republic of Senegal in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December 2026, presents a pivotal global platform to transform challenges into collective action, strategic partnerships, high-impact investments, and tangible commitments.
