5 - 9 April 2026
Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre
Muscat, Oman
Director of Water Research Center - Sultan Qaboos University
Associate Professor in Water Resources Management and Director of the Water Research Center at Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman. Obtained Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering (Water Resources Management – Groundwater Hydrology) from the University of Queensland – Australia in June 2007. My Research focuses on water resources management in arid zones. I published 70 Refereed papers, edited 2 books with Springer, and more than 40 conference/symposium presentations with several book chapters. Established international collaboration with several international institutions such as Uni of Kyoto, Japan, NASA and Caltech USA, Utrecht University and Amsterdam University in the Netherlands, and Dresden Uni of Technology in Germany, among others. Lead several consultancies and research grants and supervised several PhD and MSc students. Associate Editors in several Journals. I have led strategic consultancy and research projects on topics such as shallow water table problems in Oman, MAR, and ASR projects, management of recharge dams, assessment of climate change effect on water resources, and many numerical modeling studies.
Strategic Planning Head - Nama Water Services
Nasser Al Yahyai serves as the Head of Strategic Planning at Nama Water Services, bringing over 18 years of extensive experience across strategic planning, performance management, and engineering. In his current role, he leads the development and execution of corporate strategy, ensuring alignment across departments and driving long-term value creation for a customer base exceeding 850,000 across Oman. Nasser has been instrumental in formulating Nama Water Services’ 5-Year Strategic Plan, ensuring its alignment with national development priorities and the expectations of key shareholders.
General Manager of Water Resources Assessment - Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries Wealth & Water Resources
Member of the Strategic Advisory Group of the IMI UN Water and Former Minister in Charge of Water, Moroccan Government
Charafat Afailal, was the Minister in charge of water in the Moroccan government between 2013 and 2018 and is currently an international expert on water resources
Mrs Afailal was and is the member of board of several international organizations including Global Water Partnership (from 2021-2023) and member of Strategic Advisory Group of IMI UN_Water.
Mrs Afailal has been elected recently member of UN Committee of Economic, Social and Cultural Right for 2025-2028 mandate.
Over the past 27 years since graduating with Engineering degree, Ms Charafat Afailal has accumulated a rich expertise in the field of: water governance, planning, integrated water resources management, climate change adaptation strategies, Gender mainstreaming in water sector, Management and implementation of Nexus projects, PPP projects structuring…
Ms Charafat Afailal also played an important role in the recognition of water as the sector most affected by climate change, which culminated in the organisation of the Water Action Day during COP 22 by CCNUCC, in this sense she chaired the first International Conference on Water and Climate in Rabat in 2016.
Mrs. Afailal is a dedicated lecturer specializing in water policies and strategies. With a strong focus on sustainable water management. She has published numerous articles in the field of water governance and sustainable development.,
Mrs Charafat Afailal is a former parliamentarian in the Moroccan Representative House from 2011 to 2013.
Chief Planning and Asset Management Officer - Nama Water Services
Senior Water Resources Management Officer - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Waleed is a distinguished expert in water management with over two decades of experience dating
back to 1996. His impressive career includes successful management of irrigation projects and
substantial contributions to international water management development. From 2018 to 2023, he
excelled as a water resources management expert at FAO, following a senior advisory role with
various international organizations from 1998 to 2018. This trajectory led to his promotion to the
position of professor of water resources management in 2020.
Educationally, Waleed holds two noteworthy PhD degrees in water management, reflecting his
commitment to innovative approaches to addressing water challenges, particularly in arid regions.
His academic achievements were further acknowledged through a prestigious post-doctoral
fellowship from the Japanese Society for Science and Technology (JSPS) between 2007 and 2009.
He has led numerous irrigation projects at global, regional, and national levels, showcasing his
expertise in integrated water resources management, irrigation modernization, RS/GIS-based
water project management, water reuse, water accounting, smart irrigation, water productivity, and
solar-powered water pumping. His substantial body of research, including over 70 articles in
esteemed international journals, underscores his dedication to advancing the field. Additionally,
Waleed serves as a highly respected reviewer for several prestigious international journals and is
an esteemed member of various international societies, including the International Commission on
Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Currently, he holds a significant role as the lead technical officer
for multiple irrigation projects across KSA, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, and other GCC countries, where
his expertise continues to drive sustainable water management solutions.
President, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage
Chief Contracts Management & Reliability & Local Content Officer Saudi Water Partnership Company SWPC
Dr. Arafat Aljabri is a visionary Senior Executive with over 27 years of rich Leadership experience in the Water Desalination sector. He has a proven track record of achieving Operational excellence and driving Business growth within Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models.
Dr. Arafat began his academic journey with a “BSc degree in Chemical Engineering” from King Saud University in 1996. Later earned a “MSc degree in Business Administration” from King Abdulaziz University, KSA in 2006, followed by “PhD in Business Administration” from Al-Madinah International University, Malaysia in 2022.
Dr. Arafat started his Professional career in in the Saline Water Conversion Company (SWCC) where he held the position of Operations Division Manager for 12 years, followed by as a Production Engineer in SABIC Petrochemicals and moved to Marafiq Power & Water Utilities, where he led the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Team, improving system reliability and operational performance.
In 2013, he joined with Saudi Water Partnership Company (SPWC), where he currently serves as Chief Officer of Contracts Management, Reliability & Local Content Division, overseeing the privatization of the Kingdom’s water sector, including water desalination, sewage treatment, and water infrastructure projects.
Dr. Arafat’s strategic leadership continues to drive Saudi Arabia’s water sector transformation, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future in line with the Kingdom’s vision.
Director General Water & Waste Water Regulation - Authority for Public Services Regulation
