Saudi Arabia will host one of the world’s most influential gatherings dedicated to water innovation and sustainability next month in Jeddah.

The event comes as the world faces unprecedented water scarcity, with more than 2 billion people lacking access to safe drinking water and global demand expected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030. 

The Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS 2025) will take place from December 8 to 10 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. 

Organised by the Saudi Water Authority (SWA), IDWS 2025 will convene global leaders, policymakers, innovators, and industry pioneers to address the planet’s most pressing water challenges and accelerate the transition toward a secure and sustainable water future.

A centerpiece of the conference, the Global Prize for Innovation in Water (GPIW) will recognize and fund breakthrough solutions that reimagine how the world produces, treats, and reuses water. The GPIW stands as the largest water innovation prize in the region and among the most significant globally. The prize bridges science, entrepreneurship, and impact; connecting innovators with investors, implementers, and networks to transform ideas into real-world applications. Winning projects will gain financial support and operational backing to pilot and scale their technologies within the Kingdom and beyond.

Returning for its second edition, Miyahthon (The Water Innovation Hackathon) invites young innovators, startups, technologists, and entrepreneurs to co-create scalable solutions spanning the entire water cycle, from production and reuse to digital transformation and efficient management. The program offers hands-on mentorship through virtual and in-person bootcamps, supported by sector experts, and provides winning teams the opportunity for incubation and commercialization. The Miyahthon will also feature a dedicated investor track designed to connect participating teams with potential funders and strategic partners to fast-track their market-ready innovations.

As part of its commitment to capacity building, the Water Academy will launch a series of advanced professional development programs in partnership with London Business School and 15 international training institutions.

These courses are designed to empower Saudi and Arab professionals with expertise in water management, sustainable leadership, and organizational innovation, strengthening the sector’s human capital and competitiveness.

IDWS 2025 will host specialised technical workshops focusing on emerging technologies, regulatory frameworks, financing models, and sustainability strategies. The program will also feature the presentation of peer-reviewed scientific papers, highlighting the latest academic and practical advancements in water resource management.

A major highlight of the conference is the international exhibition, which will feature cutting-edge technologies and newly launched products across water treatment, desalination, and resource management. Several new solutions will be unveiled for the first time in the region. Participating organizations include Siemens, ABB, Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works (SSEM), Saudi Investment Bank, ACWA Power, KSB, the Local Content & Government Procurement Authority, and Toray, underscoring their collective commitment to advancing a sustainable water future for the Kingdom.

The core conference will convene panels, keynote sessions, and networking forums addressing critical water priorities. IDWS 2025 will showcase a stellar global lineup of thought leaders, including (but not limited to):

• Vera Eiro, President of WAREG (European Water Regulators), who is advocating for sustainable water governance across 27 European states.

• Dr Mansoor Al Hinai, Chairman of the Authority for Public Services Regulation in Oman, a regional leader in integrated utility and sustainability regulation.

• Ben Tarbell, Co-Founder & CEO of Ebb Carbon, a pioneer of carbon removal through ocean based alkalinity technology.

• Gustavo Saltiel, Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist of World Bank, a global authority on sustainable water access and sanitation policy.

• Michael Toh, Managing Director of Singapore Water Association, who is an architect of Singapore’s global water innovation ecosystem and NEWater strategy.

This diverse roster reflects IDWS’s ambition to include water sector luminaries, innovation drivers, and decision makers from government, finance, academia, and the private sector. -TradeArabia News Service