Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has introduced the Integrated Water Sector Strategy, which sets out a comprehensive plan for the sector and defines how the emirate will secure, manage, and diversify its water resources over the coming decades. The strategy establishes clear priorities to ensure security of supply and preserve groundwater reserves, thereby enhancing the sustainability of water services across the emirate.

The strategy aims to build a more reliable, resilient, and efficient water system by focusing on securing supply, reducing costs, and maximising value. It also seeks to strengthen the sustainability of the water sector through identified projects and initiatives designed to enhance operational performance by upgrading infrastructure with advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, and by promoting greater awareness of responsible and efficient consumption practices. Together, these efforts will boost the emirate’s competitiveness through an integrated water network.

Highlighting the importance of the strategy’s future role, His Excellency Dr Abdulla Hamid Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, said: “Ensuring water security lies at the heart of life in Abu Dhabi and is vital to economic activity across all sectors, including residential, agricultural, industrial, and commercial. Guided by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, this strategy provides a fundamental pillar around which all drivers of social and economic growth are aligned.

“This strategy and its implementation plan will strengthen our ability to safeguard this vital resource in support of the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 and lay the foundations to secure resources for future generations. The plan also aims to reduce the total cost of water production, cut network water losses by 40 per cent by 2035, and improve demand efficiency by 32 per cent by 2030. In this context, we invite all forward-thinking minds, researchers, scientists, and innovators to share their ideas and proposals for water desalination and water reuse projects, in line with the knowledge-based economy that Abu Dhabi has adopted as its pathway to the future.”

The implementation plan is built around five main programmes, including: ensuring diversified water sources for the agricultural sector; upgrading water networks in 28 agricultural areas; improving consumption efficiency in the residential and agricultural sectors; installing control and monitoring systems in distribution networks; and delivering programmes to reduce water losses, alongside developing smart infrastructure and better consumption practices. In this regard, the department is rolling out a series of projects over 10 years, grounded in clear principles and enabling tools to ensure supply security, deliver greater value for consumers, and enhance the emirate’s readiness with an integrated water network capable of meeting rapid growth and ensuring long-term resource sustainability.

The strategy will reinforce infrastructure modernisation projects in the emirate’s water sector, including the integration of artificial intelligence solutions to manage the water system through the AD.WE platform. Plans also include rainwater harvesting initiatives, such as capturing 100 million cubic metres annually, as well as increasing the use of recycled water. The strategy focuses on diversifying water sources and achieving a more optimal mix of water resources in the emirate.

By setting clear targets and defining a specific implementation pathway, the strategy reinforces Abu Dhabi’s commitment to sustainable resource management. It also forms part of broader efforts to develop efficient, future-ready utility services that support economic growth while preserving natural resources.

The launch of the Integrated Water Strategy follows the department’s recent announcement that it will host the Abu Dhabi Water and Energy Week in May 2026, an event that will bring together global leaders to enhance cooperation in the fields of water and energy. The strategy further strengthens Abu Dhabi’s leading role in shaping the future and sustainability of the utilities sector.