Roundtable on Financing Water Projects in Arab Countries - Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

Conferences & Events المؤتمرات والفعاليات

Home

Roundtable on Financing Water Projects in Arab Countries

Roundtable on Financing Water Projects in Arab Countries Cancelledألغيت

From Date

09-February-2026

To Date

10-February-2026

Arab Fund Headquarters, Kuwait City

Past event

The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, in partnership with the World Bank Group and the International Desalination and Reuse Association, is organizing a roundtable on “Financing Water Projects in Arab Countries” from February 9-10, 2026 in Kuwait City.

The roundtable, to be held at the Arab Fund, will convene leaders from water sector in the Arab Countries, together with international financial institutions, investment leaders, and private sector partners, to explore practical solutions for accelerating investment in water infrastructure and innovation across the region.

The discussion will focus on:
• Mobilizing finance for desalination, reuse, and water efficiency projects;
• Developing public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks and blended finance mechanisms;
• Advancing regional collaboration on innovation and sustainable water management.

Conference Agendaأجندة المؤتمر

09/02/2026 - Monday

Registration and Welcome Coffee

clock-icon 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM

Opening Speeches

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 09:15 AM

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 09:05 AM

speakar-name Dr. Imed Limam, Director of Operations, the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

clock-icon 09:05 AM - 09:10 AM

speakar-name Ms. Shannon McCarthy, Secretary General & Executive Director, International Desalination and Reuse Association

clock-icon 09:10 AM - 09:15 AM

speakar-name Mr. Azhar Iqbal Hussain, Country Manager of the World Bank Group Kuwait Country Office

09/02/2026 - Monday

Keynote Addresses

clock-icon 09:15 AM - 09:30 AM

clock-icon 09:15 AM - 09:20 AM

speakar-name H.E. Ahmed Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy

clock-icon 09:20 AM - 09:25 AM

speakar-name Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Sheikh, Saudi Water Authority, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Local Content

09/02/2026 - Monday

Stage-setting: Governments as Enablers: PPP Delivery Models for Desalination & Reuse

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Moderator

speakar-name Mr. Adnan Ghosheh, Senior water and sanitation specialist, The World Bank

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Presenter

speakar-name Mr. Floris Dalemans, Water Specialist - Middle East & North Africa, The World Bank

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

speakar-name Mr. Raed Abd Zaid, Deputy Minister of Water Resources - PMT Director of Emergency Operation for Development Project, Ministry of Water Resources, Iraq

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

speakar-name Eng. Hisham Al-Hisa, Secretary General, Jordan Valley Authority, Jordan

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

speakar-name Mr. Bada Lahcene, Chief Executive Officer, Algerian Desalination Company, Algeria

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

speakar-name Mr. Tarik Hamane, Group CEO, ONEE, Morocco

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

speakar-name Mr. Walid Hakiki, Head of Planning Sector, Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA), Egypt

clock-icon 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM

speakar-name Dr. Mohammad Said Hmaidi, CEO for the Water sector Regulatory Council (WSRC), Water Sector Regulatory Council, Palestine

Coffee Break

clock-icon 11:00 AM - 11:20 AM

09/02/2026 - Monday

MDB and DFI Perspectives on Financing Water Security

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

Moderator & Presenter

speakar-name Mr. Naoll Mary, Senior Operations Officer, International Finance Corporation (IFC)

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

Presenter

speakar-name Mr. Bandar Alobaid, Director General for Arab Countries Operations, Saudi Fund for Development (SFD)

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

speakar-name Dr. Amgad Elmahdi, Head of Middle East Region, Green Climate Fund (GCF)

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

speakar-name Mr. Abdelakbir Oumali, Head of Urban Development & Social Services Division, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

speakar-name Ms. Manar Mansour, First Specialist Engineering, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED)

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

speakar-name Mr. Mohammed Issam Khouy, Country Operations Manager - Regional Hub - GCC & Yemen, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

clock-icon 11:20 AM - 12:30 PM

speakar-name Dr. Ayman Ramadan Ayad, Water & Social Infrastructure Program Manager, Delegation of the European Union to Egypt, European Union

Lunch

clock-icon 12:45 PM - 14:00 PM

09/02/2026 - Monday

Private Sector Perspectives: Innovation, Finance, and Scalable Water Solutions: Part 1

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

Moderator

speakar-name Ms. Shannon McCarthy, Secretary General & Executive Director, International Desalination and Reuse Association

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Alejandro Jimenez, Director, Acciona Infrastructure, Spain

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Ms. Sawsan Kumar, Vice President-Project Finance, ACWA, KSA

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Manuel Calvo Garcia, Middle East & Asia Business Development Directo, Almar Water Solutions, Spain

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Fleming Bjoernslev, SVP Market Development, Aquatech, USA

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Ramon Berruezo Baraza, Program Director-Head of Water, Ayesa, Spain

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Michael Bjorn, Vice President, Head of High-Pressure Pumps, Danfoss, Denmark

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Imad Makhzoumi, Chairman & CEO, Enoia, UAE

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Ziad Salibi, Global Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Future Pipe Industries, France

clock-icon 14:00 PM - 14:45 PM

speakar-name Mr. Anurag Bajpayee, Chief Executive Officer, Gradiant, USA

Q & A

clock-icon 14:45 PM - 15:00 PM

Coffee Break

clock-icon 15:00 PM - 15:15 PM

09/02/2026 - Monday

Private Sector Perspectives: Innovation, Finance, and Scalable Water Solutions: Part 2

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Pedro Almagro, General Manager - Water Division, Lantania, Spain

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Rami Ghandour, Chief Executive Officer, Metito Utilities, UAE

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Mohammed Saleh Alhadi, Vice President, Business Development and Growth, Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), KSA

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Ahmed Al Shamsi, Chief Executive Officer, TAQA Water Solutions, UAE

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Mohammed Halawani, Chief Executive Officer, Tawzea, KSA

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Aymeric Huignard, Business Development Director - Major Projects at Veolia Middle and Near East, Veolia, UAE

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Jon Freedman, Global Head, Policy & Stakeholders, Veralto, USA

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mr. Giuseppe Gugliotta, Business Development Director, Fisia Italimpianti - Webuild, Italy

clock-icon 15:15 PM - 16:15 PM

speakar-name Mrs. Verónica García Molina, Senior Director, High Growth Verticals, Xylem, Switzerland

Q & A

clock-icon 16:15 PM - 16:30 PM

09/02/2026 - Monday

Wrap-up

clock-icon 16:30 PM - 16:45 PM

speakar-name Dr. Kamal Naser, Senior Advisor, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

10/02/2026 - Tuesday

Arrival and Welcome

clock-icon 08:45 AM - 09:00 AM

Thematic Tables – Supply Side: Shaping the Future

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Desalination: Regulation & Technology – Innovations, best practices, and regulatory frameworks shaping desalination deployment.

speakar-name Facilitator: Mr. Taysir Al-Dabbagh, Managing Director at Associated Water Management Consultants

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

speakar-name Co-facilitator: Eng. Malek Ali K. Al Shorman, The Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Municipal Water Reuse: Regulation & Technology – Advances in urban water reuse and enabling governance and finance structures

speakar-name Facilitator: Mr. Alejandro Jimenez, Director, Acciona Infrastructure

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

speakar-name Co-facilitator: Eng. Noor Dhafer AlRefaie, The Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Industrial Water Reuse: Regulation & Technology – Efficient and sustainable approaches to industrial reuse solutions.

speakar-name Facilitator: Mrs. Veronica Molina Garcia, Senior Director, High Growth Verticals, Xylem

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

speakar-name Co-Facilitator: Mrs. Fida Latif, The Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

PPP Enabling Environment – Policy and regulatory frameworks for public-private partnerships in water infrastructure.

speakar-name Facilitator: Mr. Mohammed Saleh Alhadi, Vice President, Business Development and Growth, SWPC

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

speakar-name Co-facilitator: Mr. Manuel Garcia Calvo, Middle East & Asia Business Development Director, Almar Water Solutions.

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

speakar-name Co-facilitator: Mr. Jameleddine Bouaoun, The Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Project Financing - Strategies for structuring bankable water projects and mobilizing private investment.

speakar-name Facilitator: Mr. Khalid Hamza, Head of Private Sector Operation Division, the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

clock-icon 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM

speakar-name Co-facilitator: Ms. Noor Jaber, the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development