Water, Rights, and Energy: A Middle Eastern View of UAE and Senegal’s Partnership at the 2026 UN Water Conference

 

In December 2026, the world will turn to the United Arab Emirates and Senegal as they co-host the United Nations Water Conference. This decision by the UN General Assembly reflects the growing recognition that both nations bring unique strengths to the table. For the Middle East, it represents a powerful moment to showcase the region’s leadership in navigating one of humanity’s greatest challenges: the struggle for clean water and sanitation for all.The UAE has already made clear that it views water not merely as a development issue but as a human right. Its representatives in Geneva have pressed for recognition of safe water and sanitation as basic rights under international law. This framing is no accident. In a region where water scarcity shapes politics, economies, and migration patterns, access to water has always been an existential issue. Through initiatives like the Water Security Strategy 2036, the country has placed innovation, investment, and sustainability at the core of its policy. The upcoming UN Water Conference offers the UAE an opportunity to elevate these efforts to the global level.Senegal, meanwhile, provides a mirror to the urgency of this debate. While Gulf nations have turned to large-scale desalination, Senegal struggles with the basics of access. Only about one in four people currently use safely managed drinking water, and sanitation infrastructure lags even further. Yet Senegal has taken leadership in pushing for cooperative water management, including its role in managing shared aquifers with neighboring countries. Co-hosting the Conference is both a challenge and an opportunity for Dakar: a chance to bring African water struggles into direct conversation with Middle Eastern innovation and resources.The partnership is not just symbolic. Masdar, the renewable energy firm based in Abu Dhabi, is already playing a role in Senegal’s transformation. The development of a 40 megawatt, 160 megawatt-hour battery storage system alongside the Taiba N’Diaye wind farm shows how energy and water security are inseparable. Once operational in 2025, this system will stabilize Senegal’s grid, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, avoid tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions annually, and deliver lifetime savings of 165 million dollars. For communities where water access depends on reliable electricity, such projects are not abstract investments but concrete lifelines.The Conference will be structured around six key themes, including water for people, prosperity, planet, cooperation, multilateralism, and investment. From a Middle Eastern standpoint, the emphasis on investment is especially critical. Gulf countries have both the financial capacity and technological know-how to drive global progress, but success will depend on ensuring that financing translates into real outcomes for marginalized populations. Migrant workers, rural communities, and informal settlements across regions still face unsafe or unreliable water access, and addressing these inequities must remain central.For the Middle East, co-hosting this global forum is not just about international diplomacy. It is about connecting lived regional realities to a global mission. It is about demonstrating that the fight for water security requires innovation in energy, governance, and financing, and that wealthy states have a responsibility to support nations that are struggling.As the world looks toward December 2026, the UAE’s role as co-host alongside Senegal is a reminder of what regional leadership can achieve. The Middle East has long been defined by its water scarcity, but with the right alliances and commitments, it can also be defined by its leadership in solving one of the most urgent challenges of our time.