Munich, 15 September 2026 – German Water Partnership (GWP) and the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative (MBZWI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance water innovation and strengthen collaboration in developing and applying sustainable solutions that address water scarcity and benefit communities around the world.
The MoU was signed during the German-Emirati Business Forum on friday, 11 September 2026, held in the context of the State Visit of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the Federal Republic of Germany.
The partnership will leverage the expertise and capabilities of both organisations, bringing together GWP’s extensive network of companies, research institutions and experts across the water sector with the MBZWI’s efforts to accelerate the development of innovative solutions to water scarcity. Areas of potential collaboration include innovative technologies and approaches to address water scarcity; sustainable desalination, water reuse and wastewater treatment; efficient water management in industrial and agricultural applications; and digital solutions for water monitoring, management and system efficiency. The two organisations will also explore opportunities for knowledge exchange, technical dialogue, testing, demonstration and potential deployment of suitable water solutions.
“Water security is one of the defining global challenges of our time. At the same time, there is a wealth of technology, expertise and experience that can contribute to solving it. Through our cooperation with the MBZWI, we aim to explore how we can work together to pool our strengths in an even more targeted manner and create new opportunities so that solutions from Germany can make an impact where they are needed.”
Boris Greifeneder, Managing Director, German Water Partnership
“Addressing water scarcity requires more than identifying promising technologies; it requires connecting innovation with the expertise, partnerships and opportunities needed to translate solutions into real-world impact. Through our partnership with GWP, we will bring together complementary expertise and networks to explore, test and advance sustainable water solutions that can benefit communities around the world.”
Ayesha Al Ateeqi, Chief Executive Officer of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative
The MoU strengthens cooperation between GWP and the MBZWI on projects and initiatives aimed at boosting innovation, technical expertise and international cooperation to address the threat of water scarcity, and to make a meaningful contribution to global water security and sustainability efforts. It also aims to create a tangible platform for connecting German water expertise with the communities and markets where it can have the greatest impact, working with stakeholders from different regions and sectors.
About German Water Partnership
German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) is the network for Germany’s internationally oriented water sector, with around 300 members – ranging from globally active technology providers, through numerous small and medium-sized enterprises and municipal water supply and wastewater treatment operators, to scientific institutions and universities. Since 2008, the association has been working worldwide to address the challenges facing the water and wastewater sector. The focus is on international partnerships, the exchange of knowledge and experience, and the transfer of sustainable technologies to improve water supply and wastewater management worldwide. In addition, GWP initiates and supports international projects and brings together stakeholders from industry, academia, politics and the field. The organisation is supported in this work by the Federal Ministries for Economic Affairs and Energy; the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; Education and Research; Economic Co-operation and Development; and the Federal Foreign Office.
About the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative works to accelerate innovative solutions to water scarcity and support their application for the benefit of communities around the world.
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative is dedicated to addressing global water scarcity by enabling the development and application of breakthrough technologies, raising the importance of water scarcity on the international agenda, and deploying needed water solutions to benefit people and communities around the world. In its first priority project, in March 2024 the Initiative partnered with XPRIZE Foundation to launch XPRIZE Water Scarcity – a five-year, $119 million prize made possible by a $150 million contribution from The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative. The competition is designed to drive widespread access to clean water by creating more reliable, sustainable, and affordable seawater desalination systems and membranes. In April 2025, The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative launched Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture, an AED 8 million competition to accelerate innovation in the development of technological solutions that can reduce the consumption of water in agriculture while maintaining or improving crop yield. The Challenge is open to international participants and will require aspiring teams to test and demonstrate their technology’s applicability in the UAE, with potential for deployment in other locations with similar weather and climate conditions.
For more information about The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, please visit https://www.mohamedbinzayedwi.ae/
Press contact:
Marie-Ann Koch
Head of Strategy and Communication
+49 176 4619 9079
koch[at]germanwaterpartnership.de
