Latest / DEWA Podcasts / Towards global water security based on innovation By HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia UAE

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Towards global water security based on innovation By HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia UAE · DEWA Podcasts

• 0:00
  Welcome. So today we're looking at, well, one
• 0:03
  of the most urgent humanitarian challenges of
• 0:06
  our time, water scarcity. I mean, the latest
• 0:09
  UN reports are showing that 2 .2 billion people,
• 0:12
  and that's billion with a B. Billion. They still
• 0:16
  lack access to safely managed drinking water.
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  It's just a staggering figure, you know, a crisis
• 0:23
  on that scale. It needs more than just traditional
• 0:26
  aid. It demands a clear vision. And that is exactly
• 0:31
  where the UAE has stepped forward. It was articulated
• 0:34
  perfectly by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin
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  Rashid Al Maktoum. What did he say? He said,
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  and this is a direct quote, we are committed
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  to driving innovation to deliver sustainable
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  solutions that advance the UAE's vision of harnessing
• 0:50
  technology to serve humanity. Right. and extends
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  support to communities suffering from water scarcity.
• 0:57
  And, you know, that vision represents the path
• 0:59
  continued by the wise leadership of His Highness
• 1:01
  Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al -Nahyan and His
• 1:04
  Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al -Maktoum.
• 1:07
  Yeah. And it's put into concrete action through
• 1:09
  the UAE Water Aid Foundation, or SAKIA. The results
• 1:13
  have been incredible. I mean... Sookie has already
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  helped provide clean water to around 15 million
• 1:19
  people. 15 million, wow. But what's truly groundbreaking
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  is that focus on innovation. It's all driven
• 1:27
  by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global
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  Water Award. It's a global call for practical,
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  sustainable tech to purify water using only renewable
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  energy. That is the key, isn't it? It moves it
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  beyond simple charity and into creating these
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  self -sustaining solutions. Exactly. And that
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  philosophy was captured in another really powerful
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  statement I sought from the leadership. Oh, let's
• 1:50
  hear it. They said the integration of visionary
• 1:53
  leadership, scientific innovation, and humanitarian
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  responsibility is what distinguishes the UAE's
• 1:59
  approach to addressing global challenges. So
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  through Sukia, they're harnessing technology
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  to serve humanity. And they're transforming innovation
• 2:09
  into a real tool for environmental justice and
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  human dignity. It's such a profound mission.
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  It's about using our most advanced tools, but
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  not for profit, but to uphold our most fundamental
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  values. It's about empowering communities and
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  protecting life. So here's a question for everyone
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  listening. When we successfully fuse that kind
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  of advanced technology with our deepest humanitarian
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  values, what other global challenges could we
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  finally begin to solve?