MENA CLIMATE PROOF FORUM 2026

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Climate proofing

Retrofitting and designing assets - power grids, water networks, transport, ports, buildings - so they keep working under hotter, more variable conditions. In the Gulf the focus is usually heat, humidity, stormwater drainage and coastal surge rather than cold or snow loads.

2

Adaptation

Action that reduces harm from climate impacts already locked in: shaded walkways, cooling retrofits, flood storage, drought-tolerant landscaping, backup power for heat peaks. It is the counterpart to mitigation and is the core of the MENA Climate Proof agenda.

3

Mitigation

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions - efficiency, renewables, CCUS, flaring reduction, low-carbon materials. In the Gulf this often overlaps with adaptation projects on the same asset base.

4

Physical climate risk

The probability and cost of damage from hazards such as extreme heat, flash flooding, dust storms, sea-level rise and storm surge. Usually assessed per asset at a stated warming scenario and time horizon.

5

Transition risk

Financial and operational risk from the shift to a low-carbon economy - carbon pricing, stranded assets, disclosure rules, changing lender and insurer requirements. Energy and industrial delegates will meet this term repeatedly.

6

Resilience

The capacity of a system to absorb a shock (a heatwave, a flood, a power failure) and recover service quickly. In tenders it usually appears as redundancy, modular capacity and recovery-time targets.

7

NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution)

Each country's pledged climate action under the Paris Agreement. Gulf states have updated NDCs with net-zero targets and adaptation chapters, which is what turns resilience language into funded national programmes.

8

National Adaptation Plan (NAP)

A government roadmap setting out priority adaptation actions, responsible agencies and financing. NAPs are the practical entry point for suppliers who want to align with public-sector buyers.

9

Nature-based solutions

Using mangroves, wetlands, dune systems, green roofs and urban canopy to cut heat and flood risk instead of, or alongside, hard engineering. The UAE mangrove restoration programme is the regional reference case.

10

Urban heat island

The extra heat stored and released by concrete, asphalt and air-conditioning exhaust, which can push city temperatures several degrees above surrounding desert. Drives demand for cool roofs, shading, reflective materials and district cooling.

11

Water security and desalination

For GCC economies, water resilience means desalination capacity, brine management, network loss reduction and recycled water for irrigation. It is a standing pillar of regional climate investment.

12

CCUS

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage - capturing CO2 from industrial or power plants and either using it or storing it in geological formations. Frequently cited in Gulf decarbonisation plans alongside hydrogen.

13

Green and transition finance

Debt or equity raised against climate-aligned projects, often with sustainability-linked terms. Regional banks and sovereign funds use adaptation and transition taxonomies to decide what qualifies.

14

Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

Direct emissions from owned operations (Scope 1), emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2) and everything in the value chain including suppliers and customers (Scope 3). Scope 3 is normally the hardest for industrial exhibitors to evidence.

15

Climate disclosure (TCFD / ISSB)

Reporting frameworks that require companies to describe governance, strategy, risk management and metrics for climate risk. Compliance pressure from lenders and listing rules is a growing driver of advisory and software demand.

16

MDB (multilateral development bank)

Institutions such as the World Bank, EBRD, IsDB and AIIB that co-finance adaptation and infrastructure. For exhibitors they matter as gatekeepers and co-funders of regional projects.