The International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA) and the Saudi Water Authority (SWA) have confirmed more than 100 speakers for the thematic programme of the IDRA World Congress 2026 (WC26).
The programme will feature more than 25 sessions over five days, alongside a peer-reviewed technical programme of around 200 presentations. It will examine policy, finance, governance and leadership issues shaping the development and adoption of desalination and water reuse solutions.
WC26 will take place from 1–5 Nov 2026 at the King Faisal Conference Hall, InterContinental Riyadh, under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and hosted by SWA. The theme is “Driving Global Water Sustainability Through Innovation”.
Confirmed thematic speakers include government ministers, deputy ministers and senior regulators; leaders of national water authorities and utilities; executives from international water developers; and representatives from the World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Saudi Fund for Development, Islamic Development Bank, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, OECD, Public Investment Fund, UN-Water and UN Global Compact.
“These speakers tell you what the thematic programme is built to do,” said Shannon McCarthy, secretary general of IDRA. “Government leaders and regulators setting the policy agenda, the heads of national water authorities running the infrastructure, the CEOs financing and building the projects, and the development institutions backing them.”
The thematic programme will focus on six key areas:
- Scaling water reuse: Sessions will explore how water reuse can be expanded globally, including regulatory developments in the US and the Scaling Water Reuse Initiative’s “Half by 2045” policy brief.
- Investment and delivery: Development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, UN agencies, project developers and transaction advisers will discuss public-private partnerships, blended finance and project delivery.
- The Saudi water story and business forum: Sessions will examine Saudi Arabia’s water transformation, alongside a half-day business forum for international companies, investors and technology providers.
- Regulation and governance: The inaugural SWA Water Regulation Exchange on 1 Nov will bring together regulators from the Americas, Europe, the Pacific and GCC, with the exchange set to become an annual conference from 2027.
- Desalination, energy and AI: Sessions will address the changing energy economics of desalination, data centre water demand and the use of AI in water operations, including digital twins and autonomous plant control.
- Circular water and leadership: Discussions will cover water circularity, standardisation, case studies and the role of women in utilities, technology, finance and policy, alongside a closing discussion on water security towards 2050.
