On 15 January 2026, the Blue Forum, co-hosted by the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF) and Masdar, was successfully held in Abu Dhabi. As the closing plenary forum of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the Blue Forum focused on cross-border collaboration and systemic innovation in sustainability, aiming to broker key international partnerships, unlock transformative development opportunities and advance water security, technological innovation and sustainable growth together. The forum brought together more than 500 global political and business leaders, including heads of state, to discuss water governance and the development of the blue economy. As the SIEF Middle East & Africa Implementation Unit, WeCarbon supported the planning and delivery of the inaugural Blue Forum from start to finish.
Photo: The Blue Forum
The forum focused on cross-border collaboration and systemic innovation in sustainability, working to turn key international partnerships into action, unlock transformative development opportunities and advance water security, technological innovation and sustainable growth together. It drew a wide range of participants from Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including government officials from many countries, heads of multilateral organisations and development banks, business executives and social-impact leaders, creating a high-level dialogue platform spanning the public sector, financial institutions and industry. H.E. Patrick Herminie, President of the Republic of Seychelles; H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment; and H.E. Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, attended and delivered keynote speeches, setting out their policy visions and pathways for action on water security, climate resilience, regional cooperation and new models of sustainable development.
Photo: H.E. Patrick Herminie, President of Seychelles, delivers a keynote speech
Photo: H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, delivers a keynote speech
Photo: H.E. Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, delivers a keynote speech
During the forum, the report "ClimateTech In Focus: Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability", led and written by WeCarbon as Knowledge Partner, was officially launched as the year's flagship research output. The report is an annual research project jointly initiated by the United Nations University (UNU), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) and Shanghai Climate Week. It explores practical pathways for advanced AI technologies to drive the green transition in specific industries, and brings together the work of more than 120 experts from 28 countries and regions, including 26 heads of state and ministerial-level officials.
Photo: The report "ClimateTech In Focus: Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability"
The report analyses the potential of AI to drive the green transition in key sectors such as energy, manufacturing and finance, and looks closely at the challenges of scaling up, including governance, data and talent. Its launch at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week brought climate technology into the core of international decision-making and provided a solid knowledge base for policymaking and international cooperation.
Beyond the report launch, the Blue Forum held a series of themed roundtables that broadened the discussion across policy, technology and practice. The roundtables covered four themes: multilateral collaboration, technology and innovation, infrastructure and investment, and social participation. With an agenda combining "research launch + leadership remarks + thematic dialogue", they explored how water security and blue economy solutions can be scaled up, underlining the distinctive value of the Blue Forum as an international cooperation platform connecting policy, capital and technology.
Photo: A roundtable discussion
Among the roundtables, the "Technology and Innovation" session was moderated by Ms. Remoca Shi, Founder of WeCarbon, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee, and Middle East and Africa Implementation Lead of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation. Ms. Shi was joined by Rt. Hon. Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) of Nigeria; H.E. Zhou Yiping, Founding Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation; and Nabil Al-Khowaiter, former CEO of Aramco Ventures. Focusing on how climate technology is reshaping the path to the Sustainable Development Goals, the panel discussed SDG implementation, efficiency and transparency, scaling up innovative technologies, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to accelerate deployment in the Global South and beyond, offering a range of perspectives on global sustainable technology innovation.
Photo: Ms. Remoca Shi moderates the roundtable
During the forum, representatives of the hosts and partners spoke highly of the Blue Forum's significance and outcomes. William Wang, Chief Representative for Middle East & Africa of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation, said: "The Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation firmly believes that sustainable development must be built on multilateral, cross-sector and intergenerational collaboration. The Blue Forum embodies this spirit of cooperation. Together with Masdar and the UAE government, we are advancing innovation, system resilience and the blue economy in tandem, bringing long-term momentum to global sustainable development."
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: "Masdar is proud to partner with the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation. The success of the Blue Forum has strongly advanced global water security, sustainable development and international cooperation. It will be an important catalyst for discussions on water and the blue economy throughout 2026, laying a solid foundation for the United Nations Water Conference, which the UAE and Senegal will co-host this December."
As a major closing forum of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Blue Forum built broad consensus on the strategic importance of water security and the blue economy in tackling climate change and driving sustainable growth. The forum emphasised the blue economy, covering oceans, seas, rivers and aquifers, as both an imperative in responding to climate change and a new economic frontier. As climate change puts increasing pressure on freshwater and marine systems, the forum bridged the trade, investment and sustainability agendas, convening global leaders to advance progress in water management, desalination, blue carbon, sustainable shipping, coastal infrastructure and ocean innovation.
Looking ahead, WeCarbon will continue to build on its practice in climate technology and sustainability, actively taking part in and supporting high-level international dialogue and cooperation platforms, bringing together advanced technology, policy thinking and industry practice, and making a sustained, professional contribution to the global green and low-carbon transition and to sustainable development.