Dubai, February 11, 2025 – The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and the World Bank have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on initiatives aimed at enhancing innovation and investment in response to global water scarcity. This agreement was signed by Ayesha Al-Ateeqi, Executive Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, and Ousmane Dione, Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, during the World Governments Summit 2025.
The collaboration seeks to tackle significant water security issues and encourage innovative solutions for sustainable water management. It will explore various areas including accelerating innovation related to water security, improving water sustainability and efficiency, investigating new mechanisms for financing water projects, and increasing cooperation between public sectors, private sectors, and international organizations. These efforts aim to support the development and scaling up of innovative solutions to address challenges in water security.
Ayesha Al-Ateeqi stated that "the establishment of this MOU is consistent with the goal of The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative to accelerate the development of new solutions to water scarcity and to boost international cooperation." She emphasized that teaming up with the World Bank aims at driving innovation and investment focused on addressing water scarcity for current and future generations.
Ousmane Dione highlighted that "this partnership aims to address critical water security challenges" by promoting sustainable practices in regions experiencing water stress globally. He noted that their collaboration would concentrate on innovations supporting areas like irrigation, re-use of water, and desalination.
The agreement formalizes both organizations' commitment to collaborating on projects designed to enhance innovation, investment, and international cooperation concerning global water security. It also establishes a platform for collaboration among stakeholders from various regions and sectors on initiatives related to water issues.
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative focuses on tackling global water scarcity through developing breakthrough technologies. Its initial project involved partnering with XPRIZE Foundation in March 2024 for XPRIZE Water Scarcity—a competition aiming at widespread access to clean seawater desalination systems.
The World Bank Group strives towards eliminating poverty worldwide while ensuring a livable planet through financing coupled with knowledge sharing. It comprises several entities including IBRD, IDA; IFC; MIGA; ICSID which collectively contribute towards achieving these goals.