Event Overview
“Achieving Water Stewardship Standards with Stakeholders Collaboration”
The MENA Water Summit will focus on developing effective plans establishing advanced water management techniques to cope up with Kuwait’s 2035 vision and current water situation in the MENA region to ensure water security and sustainability for all.
With an increasing demand for water owing to the growing population and incessant urbanization, water authorities and utility companies will need to augment their supply sources, discuss regulatory frameworks, innovative financing models and water treatment options as well as manage water demand with advanced technologies to address water security challenges of the 21st century.
Governments in MENA countries have substantially increased their investment in desalination plants producing 48% of the world’s desalinated water. According to the Global Water Intelligence, the desalination market in the MENA region is projected to reach US$ 4.3bn by 2022.
Kuwait is shifting to Innovative Water Treatment and Renewable Desalination Technology, as more than 95% of potable water comes from desalination - an energy-intensive technology burning fuels for drinking water and treatment of wastewater for domestic and irrigation purposes.
The MENA Water Summit features interactive discussions on policies and actionable ideas, which utilities can adapt to meet their commitment towards fostering innovative solutions and sustainable water management. It will also provide the opportunity to share success stories and explore ways in which we can collectively respond to challenges.
The Summit will bring together water and municipal authorities, regulators, sustainability leaders, international NGOs, water consultants, water and wastewater construction companies, academia, water management experts and solution providers who will discuss various strategies to encourage sustainability of water management and implementation of water stewardship standards. The Summit will offer unparalleled opportunities to network with peers and explore new products, technologies, and services.
Knowledge Exchange
on Key Topics such as
Bridging ‘Water Gap’ with Innovations and Urban Water System
Meeting targets for the SDGs with Water Management Strategies
Reflecting on policies and practical cases applied to Water Governance
Financing Models for Investing in Water Infrastructure and Technologies
Exploring opportunities in Multi-Purpose Water Infrastructure
Rethinking design and delivery of Urban Water Systems
Upgrading to Energy Efficient Desalination process
Exploring Sustainable Solutions in Wastewater Treatment and Recycling
Next-gen Water Management with Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and more
Leveraging Science and Technology to meet Water Stewardship Standards
Chief Guest
Mohammed Boshhari
Ministry of Electricity & Water, Kuwait
Advisory Committee & Speakers
Dr. Saleh Al-Muzaini
Kuwait Water Association
James Grinnell
Head of Water
RSB Dubai - Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau Electricity and Water
James is an utilities professional with 25 years of international experience gained across the UK, EU and Middle East.
As Head of Water at the Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau for the Electricity and Water Sector in Dubai, James develops and implements regulations to support Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy with a particular focus on IWPP’s, Energy Service Companies (ESCO’s) and District Cooling.
Prior to joining the RSB James held a number of high profile positions in UK water companies influencing the development of regulations for price reviews, competition, asset management, and water resource management. He has represented the UK water industry in the UK and in Europe.
James holds a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering, is an Alumni of the London Business School and a Certified Energy Manager.
James Grinnell
RSB Dubai - Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau Electricity and Water
Eng. Nayef AlHaddad
Manager of Research & Strategic Planning
Kuwait Authority For Partnership Projects – KAPP
Eng. Nayef Al-Haddad received his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois in 2001 and his MBA in 2016. He was the Head of Market Operations in the GCC Interconnection Authority (2011 – 2013), and has more than 10 years of experience in electrical power systems operations as a senior operation and control engineer in the State of Kuwait’s National Control Center. He joined Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) in 2014 and he is Manger of Research and Strategic Planning. He has managed multiple PPP projects such as Az Zour North Phase 2 IWPP, Al Khairan Phase 1 IWPP and Um Al Hayman WWTP. His academic focus and professional interest is set towards enabling the private sector’s involvement and engagement in local infrastructure projects and energy policymaking.
Eng. Nayef AlHaddad
Kuwait Authority For Partnership Projects – KAPP
Eng. Sarah Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutairi
Director of Chemical Works Administration
Ministry of Electricity & Water
Eng. Sara Al Mutairi joined Ministry of Electricity & Water in 1997 as Chemical Engineering in Chemical Works Administration (CWA). Then in 2006 worked as supervisor for Chemical & Bacteriological Laboratory & in-between she completed her MSc. Environmental Science from the Kuwait University, Kuwait (2009). finally, in 2018 she was appointed as Director of Chemical Works Administration, Operation & Maintenance Water Sector, M.E.W. She is responsible for potable water quality in the whole network in Kuwait. She is a member in ESCWA Committee & participates in many conference, workshop, Seminars related water quality. And also member in potable water committee in Kuwait Environmental authority & attending GCC meetings for water resources committee. Hence, participating in Kuwait Engineering Society examining Committee to choose new non-citizen to hold Kuwait Engineering Society Membership.
Eng. Sarah Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutairi
Ministry of Electricity & Water
Dr. Jauad El Kharraz
Head of Research
MEDRC Water Research
Dr. Jauad is head of Research at the Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC), in charge of its research programs dealing with sustainable desalination technologies, water-energy-food nexus and other water related topics. He has more than 20 years of international experience (Spain, France, Oman, Euro-Mediterranean region) in water management issues, remote sensing applied to environment, drought monitoring, desalination technologies, water-energy-food nexus, etc. He has been chair of evaluation of water projects for the Euro-Mediterranean program PRIMA, apart from chairing the evaluation of Jordanian-Palestinian MEDRC scholarships and the Palestinian-Dutch Academic Cooperation Program on Water (PADUCO), among other programs. He has been projects manager at the Euro-Mediterranean Water Information System (EMWIS) in France before joining MEDRC for the 11 years and half. He has published and contributed to hundreds of conferences in more than 55 countries, journals and reports in the fields of water management, desalination, agriculture, water information systems, remote sensing applications and scientific research. He got MSc & PhD degrees in Physics from the University of Valencia, Spain. He also got a Diploma in Enterprises Management & Strategy from SKEMA European Business School, France.
Dr. Jauad El Kharraz
MEDRC Water Research
Jesús Sancho
Middle East Managing Director
ACCIONA
Jesús Sancho holds a Master Degree of Aeronautical Engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) and an Executive MBA Diploma from IESE Business School (Madrid).
He presently holds the position of Middle East Managing Director of Spain´s ACCIONA. He has been based in Dubai (UAE) since 2008.
ACCIONA is one of the foremost Spanish business corporations, leader in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services. ACCIONA is listed on the selective Ibex-35 Spanish stock exchange index. ACCIONA is a leader in providing sustainable solutions across the world. Its offer covers the whole value chain, from design and construction to operation and maintenance. With a presence in more than 40 countries and more than 33,000 employees, the Group develops its business activities based on the desire to contribute to economic and social development in the communities in which it operates. Mr. Sancho started his career in the Aeronautical (The Boeing Co., Seattle, US) and Airport Infrastructure sector (Ferrovial, Spain) but he shifted to the infrastructure industry 10 years ago. Since then, he has been based in the UAE and has been developing largescale water & wastewater treatment and seawater desalination projects in the Middle East, Africa and Australia. In 2014, he was appointed to take over the global business of ACCIONA in the Middle East including Acciona Construcción (civil works), Acciona Agua (water/wastewater treatment plants), Acciona Industrial (conventional and renewable power plants and oil&gas facilities), Acciona Ingeniería (civil works engineering consultant), Acciona Concessions (developer of infrastructure) and Acciona Service (several companies dedicated to Facility Management, Aircraft Ground Handling, Events & Museography among other businesses).
Over the past years, he has been involved in the tendering, execution and growth management of several infrastructure businesses in the GCC. Some of the most complex tenders Mr. Sancho has worked on, and succeeded, include IWPPs, IWPs, EPCs, O&M and DBOMs for Public and Private Customers including Alliances in Australia.
Mr. Sancho has recently been included in the Forbes List ‘’Global Meets Local: Top 100 executives in the Middle East 2018’’ as well as in the Construction Week’s ‘’ME Power 100 List’’.
Jesús Sancho
ACCIONA
Yousuf Said Mohammed Al-Siyabi
Operation Manager
Public Authority for Water - Diam
A Professional operational expert in water sector, with more than 11 years’ in water supply and distribution system components such as (desalination plants, reservoirs, pumping stations, networks, contracts, control systems & leaks detection). Involved in many conferences and workshops in water sector as speaker.
Yousuf Said Mohammed Al-Siyabi
Public Authority for Water - Diam
Ziad Khayat
Economic Affairs Officer
United Nations - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Ziad Khayat is Economic Affairs Officer in Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability at the Economic and Social Commission for Wester Asia (ESCWA). Mr. Khayat joined ESCWA in 2015 focusing on water related sustainable development issues within the context of achieving water security utilizing integrated approaches such as the nexus and integrated water resources management.
Ziad Khayat
United Nations - Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Omnia Halawani
Director & Co-Founder
Grfn
Omnia cofounded GRFN as a progressive consultancy with a mission to realize clients’ visions while sustaining the built environment via innovative New Construction and Intervention Projects as well as Policy Shaping and Studies. Through our projects, we add a new dimension to the convention of “doing-good” by revolving our day-to-day jobs around the pursuit to contribute to efforts to solve the global issue of climate crisis and energy efficiency as well as having a positive impact to the communities in which we live. The firm is driven by advanced engineering practices and innovative approaches and embeds environmental and social sustainability as integral to the operational model by embracing UN SDGs that align with our core activities in each and every project.
Omnia brings extensive experience district cooling being involved in the feasibility, design, commissioning and/or optimization of over 1.5 Million TR of cooling in addition to consulting on related matters in policy making and end customer perspectives.
Omnia’s combined education and background in engineering and business is instrumental in the effective management of projects and the firm. She was recognized as a distinguished alumni entrepreneur of the American University of Sharjah in the year 2014 and is a regular speaker at regional conferences and contributor to periodicals and technical magazines.
Omnia Halawani
Grfn
Nada Abubakr
Managing Director
Isle Utilities
Nada is the Managing Director of Isle Utilities Middle East. She has over ten years of experience in accelerating technology commercialisation and adoption in the water utilities sector. She has led international innovation programs and collaborative technology trials on behalf of numerous water utilities. Nada was previously working for Isle Utilities in Australia for the past seven years.
Nada Abubakr
Isle Utilities
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