His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer Opens the Ministerial Roundtable titled "From Ambition to Bankable Action – Mobilizing Green Investments for a Resilient and Inclusive Global Economy"

His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), opened the proceedings of the Ministerial Roundtable titled "From Ambition to Bankable Action – Mobilizing Green Investments for a Resilient and Inclusive Global Economy," held as part of the twelfth edition of the World Green Economy Summit 2026, taking place from 21 to 22 October 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the theme "From Success to Scale: Showcasing the Green Economy."

The session was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates; His Excellency Aliou Gori Diouf, Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition of Senegal; His Excellency Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister of Environment of Nigeria; His Excellency Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment of Palau; His Excellency Ibrahim Mimrah, Minister of State for Climate Change, Environment, and Energy of the Maldives; His Excellency Bader Wael Bader Al-Ajeel Al-Askar, Secretary-General of the Arab Towns Organization; His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Affairs; and His Excellency Hasan Suver, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye, representing the COP31 Presidency. Also, in attendance were Her Excellency Bérengère Boëll, United Nations Resident Coordinator for the United Arab Emirates, along with several other United Nations officials.

In his opening remarks, His Excellency Al Tayer said: "It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, for this high-level dialogue, 'From Ambition to Bankable Action.' The title captures the defining challenge of the global green transition: converting strong commitments into projects that can attract finance and deliver measurable results."

His Excellency added: "Ambition is not the constraint. Governments have adopted strategies, climate commitments, green economy plans and increasingly clear targets. The urgent task is to convert them into investable projects, effective partnerships and capital at the scale required."

His Excellency asked: "How do we turn promising ideas into investment-ready projects and connect them with the capital required for implementation?" noting that "Bankability is not only about financial returns. It is about structuring projects that can attract capital while creating green jobs, opening opportunities for small businesses and young people, and distributing benefits fairly. This principle applies across the pillars at the heart of WGES 2026."

He continued: "Public resources are under pressure, while the investment required for the green transition continues to grow. The challenge is not simply to mobilise more finance, but to make the right projects visible, credible and ready for financing. This is where the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) has a distinctive role. We can bring governments, financial institutions, development partners, investors, technology providers and project owners around the same table – facilitating dialogue and providing a platform for implementation."

His Excellency explained: "But convening is only the beginning. Let us put forward clear, actionable asks that identify the barrier, the support required and the party best placed to respond. If policy support is needed, specify the change. If technical assistance or project preparation is required, identify the gap. If investment is sought, clarify the type of capital, the project stage and what would make it bankable. If partners are needed, define the partnership and the contribution each party can make."

His Excellency added: "This is especially important for developing economies and Small Island Developing States, where strong opportunities can be constrained by project preparation, risk and access to capital. Our discussion should create a pathway towards COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, connect with the United Nations Water Conference in the UAE, and build momentum towards the Regional Green Economy Forums. These are not separate conversations. They are part of the same journey – from ambition to projects, from projects to partnerships, from partnerships to finance, and from finance to implementation and measurable impact. The green transition needs more investment, but it also needs better connections between those who have projects, those who have capital and those who can help reduce risk. That is the bridge we are here to build."

At the close of the Ministerial Roundtable, His Excellency affirmed that the discussion had reinforced one central message: "The challenge is no longer simply to define ambition. It is to accelerate implementation."

He added: "To move capital faster, we must move projects faster – by strengthening the pipeline of bankable opportunities, improving project preparation, addressing risk, creating enabling conditions, and bringing public and private capital together."

He continued: "This is why continued dialogue matters. WGEO's role is not only to convene leaders, but to connect between governments and investors, projects and finance, policy and implementation, and the international processes shaping our shared agenda."

He added: "Three practical messages should guide the next stage of our work. First: clear tasks. Let us identify policy, regulatory, technical, or financial barriers precisely. Second: clear projects. Let us classify promising opportunities, what they need to become investment-ready, and where preparation or de-risking is required. Third: clear partnerships. Let us determine who must work together to move each opportunity forward. With clear asks, projects, and partnerships, this dialogue becomes more than an exchange of views; it becomes a mechanism for implementation."

His Excellency affirmed: "The momentum must continue towards COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, where implementation and investment must remain central; into the UN Water Conference discussions, recognising that resilient water systems are fundamental to climate adaptation, development, and human security; and towards the Regional Green Economy Forums (RGEF), where we can connect projects, partnerships, and finance for vulnerable and developing economies."

His Excellency concluded: "WGEO stands ready to carry this work forward. We can convene and facilitate, but, importantly, we can also help lead implementation. Success will not be measured by the number of commitments announced, but by the projects that move, partnerships that form, investments that are mobilised, and real-world results that are delivered. That is how we turn ambition into bankable action – and accelerate the green transition."

HE Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “As we confront growing climate risks and the imperative to bridge global investment divides, this roundtable addresses our most pressing collective challenge, moving decisively from political ambition to bankable, real-economy implementation. In line with the historic UAE Consensus and the UNFCCC climate finance architecture, the UAE remains firmly committed to making climate capital available, accessible, and affordable, particularly for emerging markets and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Our nation’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy and Energy Strategy 2050 offer a stable pathway to unlock institutional capital at scale. By 2030, we are mobilising between AED 150 and 200 billion in national investments to meet rising energy demand while creating 200,000 future-ready jobs across solar, battery storage, and clean hydrogen. To power this transition, the UAE banking sector has committed to mobilising one trillion dirhams in sustainable finance by 2030, channeling liquidity directly into resilient, high-yield assets. "

She added: “Globally, the UAE acts as a catalytic bridge for climate capital. Through ALTÉRRA, our landmark USD 30 billion climate finance vehicle, we are demonstrating how blended finance and concessional capital de-risk projects. Through long-term partnerships, innovation, and over 45 billion dollars in capital, UAE’s Masdar has driven down costs, tackled intermittency, and built efficiency of renewable projects across the world."

HE Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Energy and Sustainability, said: “Water is not simply an environmental or development priority. It is an economic necessity, a driver of competitiveness, and a foundation for long-term prosperity. From renewable-powered desalination to wastewater reuse and smart water infrastructure, these solutions can open new markets, improve productivity, reduce costs, and strengthen resilience. At the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which the UAE will co-host with Senegal in Abu Dhabi this December, mobilising finance will be a major priority. Above all, we want to move beyond commitments towards a stronger pipeline of bankable projects and partnerships capable of delivering at scale.”