World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2026

The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) is Dubai's annual international forum on the green transition, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the World Green Economy Organization. The 12th edition, themed 'From Success to Scale: Showcasing the Green Economy', shifts the focus from why climate action is needed to proven models that can be expanded faster.

Who attends

The summit convenes the people who build, fund and regulate the transition.

• Ministers, policymakers and regulators
• Infrastructure and energy developers
• Business leaders and sustainability heads
• Resilience planners
• Investors, banks and other capital providers
• International organisations and NGOs

Four thematic pillars

The 2026 programme is organised around four pillars.

• Energy Technology & Infrastructure: clean power at scale, energy storage, green hydrogen and nuclear
• Business Strategy & Transition: embedding sustainable growth, circular business models and the green skills gap
• Water & Food Security: decarbonising water production, the water-energy nexus and climate-adapted food systems
• Finance: closing the climate investment gap through blended finance and green bonds

Cross-cutting themes

Three themes run through every session: artificial intelligence (from smarter grids to the energy and water demands of data centres), governance (carbon markets, climate agreements and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism from 2026) and system enablers such as resilient supply chains and the circular economy.

Programme

Two days of keynotes and panels at Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre, opening with a ceremony on the morning of 21 October. Sessions range from Middle East energy storage and sustainable data centres to green bonds in the GCC, reverse osmosis and the tech transforming food production.

Key figures

According to the organisers, each edition brings together more than 3,300 participants from over 30 countries, more than 80 international speakers and over 300 media representatives.