Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability of the UAE, recently concluded a two-day visit to Brussels from March 6 to 7, 2025. During his trip, he engaged with senior officials and stakeholders in the energy and water sectors to reinforce the UAE’s partnership with the European Union (EU).

In his meetings, Balalaa emphasized the importance of aligning efforts and fostering cooperation in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water resilience. His visit coincided with significant events, including the Organizational Session for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) held in New York and the EU Ocean Days in Brussels. He was invited to participate in the EU’s consultative process focused on reviewing the EU’s water resilience strategy.

Balalaa took the opportunity to highlight the launch of the 2026 UNWC process and outlined the UAE’s priorities for the upcoming conference. He invited the international community to collaborate in developing innovative, inclusive, and scalable solutions to address water challenges. He reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to enhancing its cooperation with the EU in areas such as climate action, energy transition, and global sustainability. Furthermore, he noted that discussions in Brussels were crucial for advancing climate adaptation and energy commitments established during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which took place in Dubai in 2023.

The visit included meetings with key EU officials and representatives from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to explore opportunities for expanding investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and water sustainability. Balalaa met with various leaders including Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy, and Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of Environment, among others.

The discussions primarily focused on enhancing joint efforts in water sustainability in preparation for the 2026 UNWC, developing broader climate adaptation strategies, and improving cooperation ahead of the upcoming UN Ocean Conference in 2025 in France.