ADFD launches $2bn global water initiative

• Initial $1bn targeted by 2030
• Water security for developing countries
• Joint financing and partnerships

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) plans to raise $2 billion from local and international financial institutions to support global water projects.

An allocation of $1 billion is planned for the initial phase, between 2026 and 2030, to develop water projects anticipated to benefit 10 million people worldwide, ADFD said in a statement.

The Abu Dhabi Global Water platform aims to strengthen water and food security in developing countries, improve access to clean and safe water and promote technologies and innovations for water resource management. 

The initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development goal on clean water and sanitation.

ADFD director-general Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi called on local and international partners to collaborate to meet the fund’s goal through joint financing, partnerships and knowledge exchange.

The platform will deploy a range of financing tools, including development financing, private-sector investment support, export financing and guarantees and equity investments in companies. 

The flexible approach will allow financial solutions to be tailored to project needs and the priorities of beneficiary countries, Al Suwaidi said.

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In December, the fund backed a $300 million project to provide potable water to the city of Kiffa and the surrounding region in Mauritania.

It is expected to benefit more than 180,000 people in the initial phase, with a gradual expansion to serve up to 500,000 beneficiaries by 2050.

As part of its 2030 strategy, ADFD said it will support high-impact projects, particularly in critical sectors such as infrastructure, energy and electricity, agriculture, water and food security, education and health services, to help accelerate social and economic development in developing countries.