World Green Economy Summit 2026 convenes global leaders to scale sustainable transition
Dubai hosts the 12th edition of WGES, bringing together policymakers, investors and industry pioneers to transform green economy frameworks and accelerate institutional excellence across four strategic pillars.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai will host the 12th World Green Economy Summit on 21 and 22 October 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO), this year’s edition adopts the theme ‘From Success to Scale: Showcasing the Green Economy’.
The summit’s strategic framework encompasses four primary thematic pillars: Energy Technology & Infrastructure; Business Strategy & Transition; Water & Food Security; and Finance, complemented by three cross-cutting themes of Artificial Intelligence, Governance and System Enablers.
The Business Strategy & Transition pillar represents a particular focus, examining how leading organisations embed sustainable growth into operational strategies whilst capturing valuation premiums and redesigning business models around circular principles. The deliberations address the persistent green skills gap and navigate an evolving landscape of regulatory instruments—including carbon taxes, emissions trading systems and carbon footprint disclosure requirements—that distinguish sustainability pioneers from those yet adapting to transformation.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chief Executive of DEWA, emphasised the summit’s role in establishing sustainable frameworks. He noted that the green economy has surpassed US$5 trillion in annual value whilst growing at twice the rate of conventional industries, yet many organisations continue treating sustainability as compliance rather than strategic opportunity. The summit aims to transform shared expertise into actionable outcomes, addressing challenges and accelerating innovation in resource management and manufacturing.
Leading voices from global finance and sustainability reinforced the summit’s central thesis. Syed Adeel Abbas, Regional Climate Lead for the World Bank across the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan, highlighted the imperative of mobilising private capital through green bonds and sustainable finance instruments. Aisha Al Abdooli, Director of Green Development and Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, underscored the UAE’s commitment to embedding sustainability across policy and economic development through innovation and robust partnerships.
Industry practitioners demonstrated practical applications of these principles. Yousif Lootah, founder and CEO of Lootah Biofuels, presented the intelligent circular economy vision, where robotics, artificial intelligence and blockchain converge to transform waste collection and conversion into clean energy. Valerio Capizzi, Global Lead for Utilities at ING Bank, stressed that the path to net zero demands not merely investment and technology, but collaboration, resilience and balanced approaches to affordability and security. Priya Sarma, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing for the GCC region, affirmed that measurable progress emerges when purpose aligns with partnership and decisive action.
Education’s pivotal role emerged from Yohaan Cama, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Gems Education, who noted that sustainability initiatives drive operational efficiencies, strengthen institutional resilience and unlock access to capital whilst nurturing the behaviours and decision-making frameworks of future generations.
Source: WAM