Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS) 2026

The Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS) is a global water sector conference and exhibition hosted by the Saudi Water Authority. Its fifth edition takes place in Jeddah under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of Makkah Region, and brings together policymakers, financiers, utilities, industry, technology companies, investors and startups to move water security solutions from policy into large-scale deployment.

Programme

A structured three-day conference examines how water systems are governed, financed and deployed at scale, supported by a set of specialist formats.

• Core conference programme
• Technical briefings for water management and treatment professionals
• The Water Academy, specialist training led by the Saudi Water Authority
• Global Prize for Innovation in Water (4th edition of the Global Water Innovation Award)
• Miyahthon water hackathon
• Global Water Innovation Launchpad for startups
• Scientific papers and posters

Global exhibition

An exhibition floor where startups and established organisations show practical technologies for water sustainability, with live product demonstrations and networking zones.

Who attends

Government and regulators, water utilities, development banks and investors, engineering and technology companies, researchers and innovators from across the global water sector. IDWS is a professional B2B event for attendees aged 18 and over.

Key figures

Organiser figures for IDWS: 10,000+ attendees, 150+ global brands, 250+ speakers and 140+ countries represented.

Tickets & passes

• Visitor Pass — USD 100: Excl. VAT; early bird USD 50 until 30 Sep 2026. Exhibition floor, live demos, networking zones, exhibitor directory
• Delegate Pass — USD 400: Excl. VAT; early bird USD 100 until 30 Sep 2026. Adds conference sessions, technical workshops, certificate, daily networking lunch
• Premium Pass — USD 1,000: Excl. VAT; early bird USD 250 until 30 Sep 2026. Adds VIP lounge, fast-track registration, private meeting rooms, gala dinner, VIP lunch