"ACWUA ensures Arab utilities' voices shape global water sector policies and partnerships"

You have served as Secretary General of the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA) since its formal establishment in 2009. How did you become involved with ACWUA, and what drew you to this regional initiative?

Before becoming the Secretary General of ACWUA, I served as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) in Jordan. The establishment of ACWUA began in 2006, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). During my tenure at MWI, I represented Jordan on the ACWUA Founding Committee, where Jordan played a leading role in supporting ACWUA creation. In 2008, both the Founding Committee and the BMZ representatives invited me to lead ACWUA, and I officially assumed the position of Secretary General in 2009.

ACWUA was founded to bring together Arab water and wastewater utilities under a single professional platform. What were the main motivations behind its creation, and how has ACWUA evolved over the past years?

The main motivation behind establishing ACWUA was to create a platform that brings together all Arab water and wastewater utilities to discuss common challenges facing the sector and to identify solutions, tools, and best practices that enhance service delivery to their customers using the latest technologies.

The idea of ACWUA was first conceived during a meeting in Amman between two experts — the Director of GIZ in Palestine and myself. Following that discussion, we applied for funding from BMZ to support the establishment of ACWUA. In 2006, we began reaching out to Arab water utilities, and representatives from eight Arab countries attended the initial meeting, during which a Founding Committee was formed. I was asked to serve as the Acting Secretary General of ACWUA during this foundational period.

The official General Assembly to establish ACWUA took place in Alexandria, Egypt, in November 2008, where the first Board of Directors was elected, and I was appointed as Secretary General. During that meeting, the Government of Jordan kindly offered to host ACWUA’s headquarters in Amman. The hosting agreement was signed shortly thereafter, and we officially began operations from Amman on January 1, 2009.

Over the past 16 years, ACWUA has continued to grow and evolve, becoming a leading regional platform for water and wastewater utilities across the Arab world. 

ACWUA now connects more than 100 utilities from 18 Arab countries. How does the association encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange among such a diverse membership?

During ACWUA’s establishment phase, we organised a major meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which brought together more than 500 participants. The attendees included representatives from Arab water utilities, funding agencies, international organisations active in the water and wastewater sector, the International Water Association (IWA), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which hosted ACWUA during its formative period. The event also gathered a large number of water and wastewater experts from around the world.

ACWUA decided to establish certified operator training programs designed to build long-term capacity within the water sector

During this meeting, participants identified the key common challenges facing Arab utilities. These shared issues were organised into seven Technical Working Groups (TWGs) focusing on the Management of Utilities, Utilities Reform, Capacity Building and Certification, Benchmarking, Public Awareness, Behaviour Change, Gender, and Civil Society Engagement, Management of Water Resources, and Water and Health.

Guidelines were developed for each Technical Working Group, and leading countries were designated to head specific TWGs based on their expertise and experience. Following this, we began applying for funding and developing training programs based on the needs assessments conducted by the ACWUA Secretariat in collaboration with the leaders of each TWG. Since then, we have successfully implemented numerous projects, training programs, and operator certification initiatives across the region.

Capacity development initiatives have become an important component of ACWUA’s work. How have these initiatives supported professionalisation and improved service quality across member utilities?

More than 2,500 trainees and experts from the utilities in the Arab Region have successfully completed ACWUA’s certified training programs

ACWUA believes that traditional training programs are often not sustainable, as they do not ensure continuous knowledge development for trainees. Therefore, ACWUA decided to establish certified operator training programs designed to build long-term capacity within the sector.

To achieve this, ACWUA trained more than 200 Trainers of Trainers (ToT) to deliver these certified programs and obtained official accreditation from the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission / Ministry of Higher Education and the Water Professionals Institute (WPI) as a licensed training centre. This license authorises ACWUA to provide professional training and technical education in the areas of water management, operation, and maintenance of water and wastewater facilities.

To date, more than 2,500 trainees and experts from the utilities in the Arab Region have successfully completed ACWUA’s certified training programs.

Institutional strengthening is crucial to sustainable service delivery. What are the main governance challenges facing Arab water utilities, and how is ACWUA supporting members to address them?

As mentioned above, all ACWUA’s developments and projects have been implemented through an institutional framework designed to ensure sustainability within member utilities, as reflected by the significant number of trained professionals. Today, ACWUA continues to implement numerous training programs and institutional development projects that support Arab water and wastewater utilities across the region.

The water sector is rapidly adopting digital tools and data-based management. How is ACWUA helping utilities navigate digital transformation while ensuring operational and financial sustainability?

ACWUA has always recognised the importance of developing tools and database management systems to support Arab utilities in their transition toward smart operations and the adoption of digital solutions. In line with this vision, ACWUA has developed several innovative tools, including a Diagnostic Tool for Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW).

This tool enables utilities to identify and analyse the underlying causes of high NRW levels by assessing the condition and integration of various systems, such as the GIS system, which includes detailed maps of all water and wastewater customers, each assigned a unique key number linked to the integrated ERP system, the billing system, the financial system, the Customer Information System (CIS), and the Asset Management System.

Through these digital tools, ACWUA helps utilities enhance operational efficiency, improve data-driven decision-making, and move toward smarter, more sustainable management of water resources.

Furthermore, during the Arab Water Week Conference and Exhibition, organised by ACWUA, the association dedicates multiple sessions — typically featuring three to four expert speakers — to showcase the latest technologies in digitalisation and smart utility management. These sessions aim to facilitate knowledge transfer and experience sharing among delegates from Arab utilities and the global water community.

Through these negotiations, we successfully resolved disputes by agreeing to establish a 10-kilometre buffer zone on each side of the border, where no wells would be drilled for any purpose, whether for domestic water supply or irrigation.

In addition, ACWUA has implemented several capacity-building initiatives in this field, including training programs for Jordanian experts on negotiation skills to strengthen national negotiation teams. Furthermore, ACWUA conducted a study commissioned by UNICEF’s Regional Office on the impact of water trucking and transboundary water resources management.

Ultimately, countries sharing aquifers should focus on building the capacity of their negotiation teams, equipping them with a clear understanding of historical water rights and a reliable historical database for each shared aquifer and transboundary water resource. Successful negotiations should always aim for a win-win outcome that benefits all parties involved.

ACWUA works with organisations such as UN-Water, GIZ, and the World Bank. How does the association ensure that the perspectives of Arab utilities are reflected in global policy discussions and partnerships?

ACWUA ensures that the perspectives of Arab utilities are effectively represented in global policy discussions and partnerships through a comprehensive approach.

It engages in advocacy and communication by actively highlighting the needs, challenges, and achievements of Arab utilities through publications, reports, and policy briefs. These efforts contribute to global dialogues on water security, utility management, and sustainable development.

ACWUA also participates actively in global platforms, maintaining membership and partnerships with numerous regional and international organisations. These include observer membership in the Arab Water Ministerial Council of the League of Arab States, membership in the International Water Association (IWA) Water and Sanitation Taskforce, the World Water Council, and Water and Sanitation for All (SWA). It also maintains partnerships with many international water organisations and expert networks, as listed under ACWUA Cooperative Partners.

In addition, ACWUA consolidates Arab utility views by serving as a regional voice that gathers the experiences, challenges, and priorities of its member utilities. Through surveys, consultations, and Technical Working Groups (TWGs), it synthesises practical insights to inform global discussions.

By implementing projects, training programs, and research studies across the Arab region, ACWUA also promotes knowledge sharing and technical expertise. These activities produce evidence-based recommendations that reflect the realities of Arab utilities, ensuring that global policy guidance is grounded in practical operational experience.

Through this multi-faceted approach, ACWUA ensures that the voices of Arab utilities are not only heard but actively shape global water sector policies and partnerships.

After more than a decade and a half of progress, what is your long-term vision for ACWUA’s contribution to the professionalisation and governance of Arab water utilities?

ACWUA consolidates Arab utility views by serving as a regional voice that gathers the experiences, challenges, and priorities of its members

Since its establishment, ACWUA has successfully developed four consecutive five-year business plans, each detailing the projects and activities planned for the respective period. These plans are reviewed annually to monitor progress against targets, with all processes conducted in strict compliance with ISO 9001, 45001, and 14001 standards.

ACWUA has also undergone auditing by USAID through PwC under the Non-US Organization Pre-award Survey (NUPAS), which evaluated all operational mechanisms, identified gaps, and guided corrective actions. Consequently, standard operating procedures were established for every unit, and mandates were clearly defined, enhancing transparency, accountability, and enabling ACWUA to qualify for direct USAID grants.

To ensure responsiveness to member needs, ACWUA conducts a biennial needs assessment, which informs and updates the business plans. This ensures the association remains continuously aligned with the current and future priorities of its members.