DUBAI, 12th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and the World Green Economy Organisation will organise the 12th edition of the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) on 21-22 October 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
WGES 2026 will focus on priority areas under four main thematic pillars: Energy Technology & Infrastructure; Business Strategy & Transition; Water & Food Security; and Finance. It will also address three cross-cutting themes: artificial intelligence, governance, and system enablers.
The finance pillar explores ways to support climate investment as an unprecedented opportunity for prosperity and economic growth. The summit’s sessions will bring together leading decision-makers, project financiers, business leaders, and investors to discuss ways to support the bankability and enable climate projects to progress from concept to implementation.
The Climate Policy Initiative estimates that at least $6.3 trillion in annual investment will be needed from now until 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Today, investment stands at around $2.3 trillion.
“WGES aligns with the UAE’s adoption of the green economy as one of the pathways to sustainable development. The summit serves as a platform to showcase to the world key milestones in the UAE’s contribution to accelerating sustainable climate finance practices. These include the establishment of the ALTÉRRA catalytic climate fund and the UAE’s contribution of a USD 100 million to the Loss and Damage Fund launched in COP28. The UAE has also pledged USD 200 million in Special Drawing Rights to finance the International Monetary Fund’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust and the new financial framework, in addition to establishing the Dubai Green Fund. WGES supports the UAE’s position as one of the region’s most active countries in issuing green sukuk and bonds and promoting green financing solutions,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, MD & CEO of DEWA and Chairman of WGEO.
Speakers at WGES 2026 emphasised the importance of aligning finance, business strategy and cross-sector collaboration to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and resilient green economy.
Suzanna ElMassah, Professor of Economics and Director of the Sustainability Programme at Zayed University, said: “Successful companies move beyond treating ESG as a reporting exercise. They integrate sustainability into investment, innovation, operations, workforce development and market strategy. The business case is increasingly clear. Green revenues are growing faster than conventional business lines, while companies that anticipate the transition are better positioned to manage risk, withstand shocks and capture emerging opportunities.”
Saeed Al Abbar, CEO and founder of AESG, said: “The transition to a green economy will not be achieved through isolated targets or sustainability commitments alone. We need to focus on scalable solutions that make both environmental and economic sense. WGES is an important platform to bring together the technology, investment and collaboration needed to accelerate that transition.”
Alexander Lempka, founder and CEO of Connect Earth, said: “The financial sector plays the defining role in enabling the UAE and economies worldwide to transition to a low-carbon economy. Sustainability-linked loans, green bonds and other financial products can incentivise corporations, SMEs and consumers to adopt more sustainable behaviours and contribute to the decarbonisation of our planet.”
Naveen Raza, Head of Net Zero Transition, HSBC MENAT, said: “Blended finance matters now more than ever because it can help to reduce risk, improve bankability, and crowd in private capital at the pace and size that the transition demands. At WGES, I’ll be sharing perspectives on innovative approaches that can help align Islamic financing with real-economy net zero outcomes.”
Joan Larrea, CEO of Convergence Blended Finance, said: “WGES is an important opportunity to strengthen the partnerships needed to finance green growth in emerging markets. The Gulf economies have a particularly important role to play, combining deep investment expertise, significant pools of private capital and philanthropic resources with a growing commitment to sustainable development.”
Nick Falkowski, co-founder and CEO of Meaningful Planet, said: “By reimagining industries from first principles, and treating sustainability and impact as equal considerations alongside financial and technical performance, we have an opportunity to radically improve our future trajectory. The economy of the future will be a green economy.”