DUBAI, The United Arab Emirates, October 24, 2019 – At the 2019 World Congress, “Crossroads to Sustainability,” hosted by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the International Desalination and Reuse Association’s Leaders Summit concluded with a full day of exclusive panel discussions during the Leaders with Leaders Program. Featuring over 40 high-level executives from the financial, legal, technology and innovation sectors, the Leaders with Leaders program consisted of six panel discussions and a keynote address by His Excellency, Saeed Mohammed al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Ms. Shannon McCarthy, IDRA Secretary General, opened the Summit with welcoming remarks, then invited His Excellency on stage for his address. His Excellency delivered a keynote address to a captive audience of industry stakeholders, highlighting the achievements of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the truly visionary nature of the utility’s work. Following this keynote address, IDRA President Mr. Miguel Angel Sanz offered His Excellency sincere thanks for not only DEWA’s generosity in hosting IDRA, but also for the important work DEWA continues to perform throughout the sector.
“IDRA was truly honored to hear His Excellency’s remarks during the Leaders with Leaders Program,” said IDRA Secretary General Ms. Shannon McCarthy. “The presence and contribution of such a dignitary brings this Summit to new heights, underscoring the importance of these conversations in our industry today.”
After His Excellency’s keynote, the Leaders with Leaders program witnessed six expert panel discussions, each addressing a specific and critical question facing the sector. The panel “Public Utilities 2.0,” moderated by Mr. Jose Diaz Caneja, CEO of Acciona, and Mr. Rachid Ghamroui, Vice President of BESIX ME, featured dignitaries from highly influential utilities such as His Excellency Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, Chairman, PAEW, Oman, Mr. Nasser Lootah, EVP G (P&W) of DEWA, Eng. Abdullah Alabdulkarim, Deputy Governor of SWCC, and Mr. Peter Joo Hee NG, Chief Executive of PUB Singapore.
The Summit’s speakers then addressed how the sector should strive to expand the public-private partnership in a panel moderated by Mr. Chiba Seijiro, General Manager of Environment Infrastructure Department at Marubeni, and Mrs. Arantxa Mencia, Business Development Director of Almar Water Solutions. Panelists included Mr. Rami Ghandour of Metito, Mr. Richard Parris of Clifford Chance, Mr. Frederic Claux of Engie, and Mr. Shaheed Ali of Nedbank. The panel featured a dynamic exchange of strong opinions and key insights, both during the discussion and after in the Q&A period. The morning session concluded with the panel “Trends in the EPC Market: Is Competing on Cost vs. Quality Sustainable?”, during which moderator Mr. Carlos Cosin, CEO of Almar Water Solutions, discussed the future of EPC business with panelists Mr. Silvio Oliva of Fisia Italimpianti, Mr. Fady Juez of Metito, Mr. Roberto Mangano of ILF, Mr. Olivier Crasson of BESIX, Mr. Pedro Almagro of Abengoa, and Mr. Nasser Lootah of DEWA.
The Leaders with Leaders Program resumed in the afternoon with a discussion on the “Bankability of Mega Water Projects,” moderated by Mr. Thierry Noel, CEO of Amane Advisors and Mr. Bastien Simeon, Global Water Infrastructure Lead at KPMG. Featuring His Excellency Khaled Al Qureshi, Mr. Teruyuki Miyazaki, Senior VP of Investments and Infrastructures at Brookfield Asset management, Mr. Rafael Perez Feito, Director of International Operations at Aqualia, and Mr. Didier Sachot BOT / PPP Activity VP at SUEZ, this panel addressed the challenge of securing funding for water projects, exploring non-traditional means of gaining funds. This panel transitioned to a discussion on “The Industrial Water Energy Nexus: Are We On the Right Path,” during which Mr. Jonathan Pressdee, Senior VP of Drinking and Industrial Water at AECOM, fielded a series of insights from experienced panelists such as Mr. Devesh Sharma, Managing Director of Aquatech Mr. Thamer Al-Mutairi, President of SAWEA, Mr. Hubert Fleming, Head of Water Strategy at Anglo American Mining, Mr. Robert Owens, Business Development Operations Manager at Bechtel, and Mr. Ahmed Al Mazroury, CEO of Majis Industrial Services.
Concluding with the panel “Innovation in the Advanced Water Treatment Market,” moderated by Professor John H. Lienhard V, Abdul Latif Jameel Professor and the Founding Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab at MIT and Mr. Alistair Munro, CEO of PROJECX, the Leaders with Leaders Program ended by looking toward corporate approach to changing innovative technology and market elements needed for successful processes. Panelists included Dr. Masaru Kurihara, Senior Scientific Director at Toray, Mr. Vincent Baujat, CEO of Sidem, Mr. Dave Johnson, Technical and Marketing Director BD, Kurita, Mr. Alexander Lane, Commercial Director EMEA, Dupont, Mrs. Hattie Wang, VP of Global Markets at ROPV, and Dr. Mike Dixon, CEO and Founder of Synauta Inc.
“To watch this Leaders Summit program come to life has been incredible,” said Ms. Shannon McCarthy at the day’s conclusion. “These kinds of discussions are critical to the development of our industry, and I am proud that IDRA has a place in shaping the future of the water sector.
For more information, please contact Shannon McCarthy, IDRA Secretary General, smccarthy@idadesal.org.
About IDRA
The International Desalination and Reuse Association (www.idadesal.org) is the point of connection for the global desalination and water reuse community. A non-profit association, IDRA serves more than 2,600 core members in 60 countries and reaches an additional 4,000 affiliate members. Its membership comprises scientists, end-users, engineers, consultants and researchers from governments, corporations and academia. IDRA is associated with the United Nations as part of a growing international network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).