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Guangzhou Hosts UAE-GBA Water and Sustainability Dialogue Ahead of UN Conference

The UAE Embassy in Beijing, the UAE Consulate General in Guangzhou, and Sun Yat-sen University co-hosted the UAE-GBA Water and Sustainability Dialogue in Guangzhou. The gathering brought together over 170 representatives from government, business, academia, and finance to prepare for the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. Discussions centered on linking UAE water security initiatives with Greater Bay Area technological capabilities and green investment.

Illustration: A modern water management facility and research laboratory with clear water filtration tanks, green sustainability monitoring displays,
Illustration

On October 27, 2026, the UAE Embassy in Beijing, the UAE Consulate General in Guangzhou, and Sun Yat-sen University co-hosted the "Green Bays, Shared Future: UAE–GBA Water and Sustainability Dialogue—Advancing Towards the 2026 UN Water Conference" in Guangzhou, Guangdong News reported.

Held at Sun Yat-sen University, the event gathered more than 170 representatives of government bodies, academic and research institutions, corporations, and financial entities from both the UAE and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The dialogue aimed to strengthen bilateral exchange ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, which the UAE will co-host alongside Senegal in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 10, 2026.

According to the report, participants examined how international cooperation, scientific innovation, and commercial investment can safeguard water resources, bolster food security, and support sustainable economic development amid intensifying climate and resource pressures.

Professor Tang Hongwu, president of Sun Yat-sen University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated in opening remarks that the GBA's capabilities in green technology and water management align with the UAE's net-zero and water security ambitions, noting the dialogue seeks to translate research and local innovation into practical bilateral cooperation.

Addressing attendees virtually, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa outlined UAE efforts to mobilize investment and advance UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, while encouraging Greater Bay Area enterprises and institutions to participate actively in the upcoming conference in Abu Dhabi.

Sources

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