• Multi-stakeholder platform aligns cutting-edge technologies with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 innovation and localization agenda
  • Event showcases ACWA Power’s expanding portfolio of innovation use cases, pilots, and industrial-scale deployments

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: ACWA Power, the world’s largest private water desalination company, a leader in energy transition, and first mover into green hydrogen, today announced the fourth edition of Innovation Days, to be held from 26–28 January 2026 at The Garage in Riyadh, under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Organized in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, KACST, KAUST, and The Garage, Innovation Days 2026 will convene senior government officials, industry leaders, innovators, researchers, and academics from Saudi Arabia and around the world. The three-day program is designed as a flagship innovation platform to accelerate the deployment of next-generation energy, water and digital technologies, catalyze high-impact partnerships, and advance the Kingdom’s ambition to become a top-10 country in the Global Innovation Index

Marco Arcelli, Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power, stated: “Innovation Days has rapidly evolved into a high-impact platform where real technologies, real partners, and real projects come together. It is not a theoretical conference - it is where we stress-test ideas, scale breakthrough solutions, and connect innovators with the full industrial and policy ecosystem needed to move from pilots to viability, deployment and scalability. For ACWA Power, innovation is not a separate function; it is the way we design, mobilize investments, and operate assets that deliver competitive, lower-carbon energy and water to our partners across all our markets.”

With the theme “Innovate for Impact,” the 2026 edition focuses on solution-driven innovation that translates directly into measurable economic, environmental, and system benefits. The agenda highlights applied R&D outcomes, full-scale demonstrations, and co-developed technologies spanning renewables, green hydrogen, advanced desalination, energy storage, system integration, and digital optimization.

The three-day program at The Garage will feature high-level keynotes, technical deep dives, live technology showcases, and curated matchmaking sessions tailored to different stakeholder groups. Dedicated tracks will address strategic challenges such as accelerating green hydrogen competitiveness, lowering the footprint of desalination while increasing its competitive cost, expanding energy storage, and leveraging AI and digital solutions to optimize complex power and water systems. Participants will also explore new models for technology localization, joint IP development, and industrial supply chain development in the Kingdom.

Innovation Days brings together a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including universities and research institutes that contribute to research capabilities and STEM talent, and in return can develop applied use cases and joint intellectual property aligned with national priorities. Government stakeholders provide policy direction, Vision 2030 alignment, and institutional legitimacy and visibility, while funding and investment authorities bring capital and innovation programs to the table, gaining targeted deployment opportunities and partnerships.

To learn more about the event and register, please visit Innovation Days 2026.

About ACWA Power

ACWA Power (TADAWUL:2082) is a Saudi-listed company and the world's largest private water desalination company, the first mover into green hydrogen, and a leader in the global energy transition. Registered and established in 2004 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ACWA Power employs over 4,000 people and is currently present in 15 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. ACWA Power’s portfolio comprises 110 projects in operation, advanced development, or under construction with an investment value of SAR 431 billion (USD 115 billion) and the capacity to generate 93 GW of power (of which 52GW is renewables) and manage 9.3 million m3/day of desalinated water. This energy and water are delivered on a bulk basis to address the needs of state utilities and industries on long-term, off-taker contracts under utility services outsourcing and public-private partnership models.

Learn more: www.acwapower.com

ACWA Power Media Contacts:  
Halah Mohsen
Director Media Affairs & External Comms
hmohsen@acwapower.com
media.inquiries@acwapower.com