The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the fifth Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS 2026) from December 14 to 16, 2026, at the Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah. Organized by the Saudi Water Authority, the conference will bring together leaders, policymakers, investors, innovators, researchers, and specialists from across the water sector to connect innovation with investment and implementation and expand international partnerships in addressing water challenges. The conference is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from over 140 countries, with more than 250 speakers, while the accompanying exhibition will feature over 150 global brands. The conference will bring together representatives of investment funds, financial institutions, and banks, along with investors, water service providers, and industry and technology leaders, to connect financing with solutions and implementation needs, help channel capital, and scale up the deployment of solutions and technologies. The conference will focus on moving innovations from research and development to implementation and scale-up. In this context, it will host the fourth edition of the Global Prize for Innovation in Water, with total prizes of $10 million across its various stages. The prize supports ideas and solutions addressing key challenges in the water sector, from early-stage research to market-ready solutions. This year, the prize will introduce a new category focused on water conservation and improved water-use efficiency, encouraging innovations that contribute to demand management and the wider adoption of solutions and technologies that support sustainability. The conference will also feature Miyahthon, a water hackathon that brings together innovators to develop scalable, implementable solutions, along with technical workshops, the accompanying exhibition, and the Global Water Innovations Launchpad, where innovators and startups can showcase their technologies, products, and solutions to experts, investors, and industry leaders. Scientific papers will cover seven approved themes: Desalination Technologies and Energy Integration; Water Reclamation, Reuse and Circular Systems; Industrial Water: Sectors, Systems and Solutions; AI, Digital, Autonomous and Cyber-Resilient Water Operations; Agriculture and Food System Water; Water Infrastructure, Networks and Asset Management; and Water Quality & Emerging Contaminants. This year, the conference agenda will expand to include an eighth theme through a strategic partnership with the Produced Water Society, bringing specialized expertise in the management, treatment, and reuse of water associated with production operations and broadening the exchange of relevant expertise, solutions, and technologies among specialists from Saudi Arabia and around the world. Hosting the conference in Saudi Arabia gives these themes a practical dimension by drawing on the Saudi water sector's experience in integrated water resources management, improving the efficiency of the water supply system, promoting water reuse, harnessing research and innovation, and building engineering capabilities. Hosting IDWS 2026 reflects an advanced stage in the development of Saudi Arabia's water sector, which has progressed from developing water systems and improving their efficiency to expanding its role in research, innovation, and the development of technologies and solutions, connecting them with implementation and investment needs, and sharing Saudi expertise and capabilities regionally and internationally. The conference provides a platform that brings together knowledge, expertise, financing, and technology to accelerate the development of solutions that enhance the efficiency of water services, supply reliability, and resource sustainability, while expanding the deployment of water solutions in Saudi Arabia and around the world.
