Saudi Arabia To Host Innovation-Driven Water Sustainability Conference 2025

Saudi Arabia will host the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWSC 2025) from December 8-10, 2025, at The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region. 

Organized by the Saudi Water Authority (SWA), IDWSC 2025 will gather policymakers, experts, innovators, and industry representatives to address global water challenges and support progress toward sustainable water management. The event takes place as over two billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water, and global demand is projected to exceed supply by 40 percent by 2030. 

A key feature of the conference, the Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW), will recognize and support new solutions in water production, treatment, and reuse. The prize connects researchers and entrepreneurs with investors and implementing partners to turn ideas into practical applications. Winning projects will receive financial and technical assistance to pilot and expand their technologies in Saudi Arabia and abroad. 

In a statement, Mehaideb Saleh Al Mehaideb, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference, said, “Through the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference, the Kingdom reaffirms its global leadership in advancing sustainable water management. IDWSC embodies our shared vision to harness innovation, technology, and collaboration to ensure long term water security. By convening the world’s brightest minds and honoring breakthrough solutions through the Global Prize for Innovation in Water, we are creating a legacy of impact that extends well beyond our borders.” 

The conference will also feature the second edition of Miyahthon (the Water Innovation Hackathon), which invites startups, entrepreneurs, and technologists to develop solutions across the water cycle, including reuse, digital transformation, and efficient management. Participants will receive mentorship through virtual and in-person bootcamps, with access to incubation opportunities and potential investors through a dedicated track. 

Additionally, The Water Academy will launch new professional development programs in collaboration with London Business School (LBS) and 15 international training institutions. The courses aim to enhance the expertise of Saudi and Arab professionals in water management, leadership, and innovation. 

IDWSC 2025 will also include workshops on technologies, financing models, regulatory frameworks, and sustainability practices. Researchers will present peer-reviewed papers on recent developments in water resource management. 

The international exhibition will showcase technologies and products in water treatment, desalination, and resource management, and will include solutions being unveiled for the first time in the region. Exhibitors include Siemens, ABB, Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works (SSEM), Saudi Investment Bank, ACWA Power, KSB, the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, and Toray. 

Through a series of panels, keynote sessions, and networking forums, IDWSC 2025 will host an international lineup of leading voices shaping the future of water sustainability. Speakers include HE Vera Eiro, President of WAREG (European Water Regulators), who champions sustainable water governance across 27 European nations; HE Dr. Mansoor Al Hinai, Chairman of the Authority for Public Services Regulation in Oman and a regional authority on integrated utility and sustainability regulation; Ben Tarbell, co-founder and CEO of Ebb Carbon, known for advancing carbon removal through ocean-based alkalinity technology; Gustavo Saltiel, Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank and a key figure in global water access and sanitation policy; and Michael Toh, Managing Director of the Singapore Water Association, recognized for helping build Singapore’s world-renowned water innovation ecosystem and NEWater program.

As part of its outreach efforts, the Saudi Water Authority will also introduce the Water Content Creators Award, which encourages media professionals and creators to produce Arabic-language content on water sustainability. The initiative seeks to raise public awareness of the importance of water in sustainable development and promote environmental responsibility in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Categories include innovation in water, community engagement, water security, and knowledge-based content. 

Interested participants can register through this link. 

Image courtesy IDWSC.