International Desalination President Calls Sustainability "The Determiner of Our Future"

Dr. Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, President of the International Desalination Association (IDA) and Deputy Governor for Planning and Development of Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), delivered Keynote Remarks on “Sustainability: The Driver of Innovation” at the International Water Summit (IWS) in Abu Dhabi, calling the transition to sustainability “one of the most important paradigm shifts of the modern era.”    

“Today, we stand on the precipice of great and monumental change in industrial history, and sustainability is driving that change,” he said. “Sustainability is the determiner of our future. It is pointing us in a direction. Sustainability is the driver of innovation, innovation that will reshape our business model, redefine our practices and transform our industry. Sustainability is taking us to us to a place that is very different from where we are now,” he said. 

“Let’s move beyond thinking of sustainability simply as a social responsibility ... beyond appreciating the energy cost reductions sustainability can bring ... Let’s go beyond thinking of sustainability defined by compliance,” he urged. “Let’s embrace sustainability for what it is, for the opportunity it brings, for the change, the transformation, the innovation it drives – the innovation that pushes our industry in new directions and pushes it to new unimaginable heights, the innovation that determines our future,” he concluded.

For the second year, the International Desalination Association (IDA) is supporting the International Water Summit (IWS) as a Knowledge Partner for the event. The world’s leading association focused on desalination and water reuse, IDA has organised several sessions that will be presented at the Summit – a unique platform for promoting global collaboration on water sustainability.