DUBAI, 9th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The 28th edition of the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2026) will highlight sustainable and resilient technologies supporting smart cities as the construction and infrastructure sectors respond to climate change, population growth and rising demand for energy and resources.
Recent data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) indicate that the buildings and construction sector accounts for around 37 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and nearly 50 percent of global material extraction, placing the built environment at the centre of efforts to develop low-carbon, resilient cities.
Organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), WETEX will take place from 20th to 22nd October, 2026, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together companies, developers, engineers, technology providers and decision-makers.
The exhibition will showcase solutions across construction, infrastructure development, engineering services, sustainability, energy, water and digital transformation, with a focus on improving efficiency, reducing carbon footprints and strengthening resilience to climatic and operational changes.
WETEX also covers sustainable cities, decarbonisation, artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation and green technologies.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, Founder and Chairman of WETEX, said, “The ability to build sustainable and resilient cities is linked to turning innovation into investment decisions and viable projects that deliver sustainable value throughout the asset lifecycle.
“Dubai recognised early on that developing the cities of the future requires a vision that goes beyond a project's efficiency at the time of construction to encompass its ability to maintain performance, adapt and preserve its reliability and economic value in a rapidly changing environment.”
He added, “Through WETEX, we work to accelerate the transition of promising solutions from development and experimentation to large-scale implementation, while creating opportunities to forge significant partnerships, develop pioneering business models and attract major investments.
“We believe that the most competitive cities of the future will be those that develop infrastructure capable of responding to change and creating sustainable value for society, the economy and future generations.”
Reducing the carbon footprint of buildings increasingly begins with material selection. Low-emission alternatives for cement, concrete and steel, recycled materials and improved resource efficiency are gaining importance, alongside tools for measuring embodied carbon throughout an asset's lifecycle.
Advances in energy-efficient engineering design are also supporting this transition through improved building envelopes, natural lighting, thermal load management, efficient cooling and lighting systems, renewable energy, energy storage and water solutions.
Digitalisation, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) are creating further opportunities for building management. Sensors and digital platforms enable real-time monitoring of energy and water consumption, air quality, cooling and lighting systems and occupancy levels, while advanced analytics can predict faults and optimise performance.
Digital twins and Building Information Modelling (BIM) also help connect design, construction and operations, allowing engineers and operators to test scenarios and make more informed decisions throughout an asset's lifecycle.
District cooling remains an important component of sustainable urban infrastructure, particularly in high-density environments. Such systems can reduce cooling energy consumption by up to 50 percent compared with conventional systems, while thermal energy storage, AI, data analytics and treated water can deliver further efficiency gains.
Digitalisation is also reshaping city-wide infrastructure. BIM, digital twins, AI, drones and connected sensors can support real-time monitoring, optimise material and resource use, identify risks early and enable predictive maintenance.
Digital simulations can also assess infrastructure performance under different operational and climatic conditions, helping cities prepare for extreme heat, flooding, supply disruptions and sudden changes in demand.
Specialised engineering services are increasingly integrating energy and water efficiency, lifecycle emissions, climate resilience, digital technologies, and risk and asset management, while linking architectural and engineering design with energy, cooling, water, mobility and communications systems.
WETEX 2026 will provide participating companies with opportunities to showcase solutions spanning low-carbon construction materials, energy-efficient design, smart buildings, district cooling, digital construction and infrastructure resilience.
Following the success of the 2025 edition, which attracted 3,100 exhibitors and more than 50,000 visitors from around the world, WETEX continues to strengthen its role as a global platform connecting innovative technologies with investment opportunities, projects and strategic partnerships.