农产品系列报告2：市场概况、关键参与者与价值链动态、水资源经济构建、阿联酋贸易中心地位及未来展望

TABLE OFCONTENTS IntroductionExecutive SummaryChapter 1:Market snapshotChapter 2:Key players and valuechain dynamicsChapter 3:Building the water economyChapter 4:The UAE’s trade centralityChapter 5:Future outlook, trade andinvestment trendsRecommendations0406101620243040 The emergence of water asboth a traded resource and aninvestable asset is promptinga new wave of financialinnovation and infrastructuredevelopment WATER’S ASCENTAS A GLOBALMARKET FORCE Once viewed as a local resource managed by utilities andmunicipalities, water has become a globally contested asset,underpinning everything from agricultural exports and heavyindustry to semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI)infrastructure. As climate pressures mount and global demandsurges, the ability to source, allocate and trade water efficientlywill shape geopolitical strategy and economic competitiveness. In the United Arab Emirates – among the most water-scarcenations on earth – this challenge has become an opportunity.The country is investing in desalination, digital waterinfrastructure and cross-border partnerships to bolster watersecurity and position itself as a regional water hub. Throughinitiatives like DMCC’s new Water Centre,1Dubai is leveragingtrade corridors and innovation ecosystems to develop frontiertechnologies such as atmospheric water generation (AWG)and new financing models to reshape both the regional andglobal water economy. This shift is redefining the role of water in the global economy—not merely as a physical input, but as a strategic enabler ofgrowth, resilience, and technological progress. As sectors fromagriculture to AI face mounting water risk, the ability to manageand monetise water efficiently is becoming a competitivedifferentiator. Yet governance frameworks remain fragmented,and investment levels lag behind need. The emergence ofwater as both a traded resource and an investable asset isprompting a new wave of financial innovation and infrastructuredevelopment. Against this backdrop, new players are steppingforward – not just to secure supply, but to shape the futurearchitecture of the water economy. EXECUTIVESUMMARY Industrialgrowth is bumpingup against water limits This report explores the rise of water as a traded and strategicresource. It examines sectoral vulnerability, the emergingdynamics of water trade and innovations in water finance andgovernance. It makes the case for treating water not simplyas a commodity or constraint – but as a catalyst for resilient,future-ready trade. This report identifies five key themesshaping the future of trade in relation to water. Water stress is no longer just a rural or agricultural problem.It’s hitting the nerve centres of the modern economy from datacentres to chip fabs which rely heavily on secure water access. Forcompanies and countries alike, future competitiveness will dependon managing water risk as a supply chain vulnerability. Water scarcity isreshaping global tradeflows Governance gaps andunder investment hamperglobal resilience Water markets remain poorly governed and underfunded.Most investment still comes from public sources, and few countriesassign water a meaningful price. Without better regulation andfinancial innovation, from tradable rights to tokenisation,water will remain a neglected threat in global trade anddevelopment strategies. As water stress intensifies, countries are increasingly relyingon virtual water trade – importing water-intensive goods suchas crops, semiconductors and bottled water – to safeguarddomestic supplies. By 2100, virtual water flows are projected toincrease fivefold, transforming trade strategies and exposingnew geopolitical dependencies. The UAE is turningconstraint into opportunityto become a regional hubfor aquatech, desalinatedexports and waterinnovation The UAE is emergingas a global water-tradeplatform Faced with extreme scarcity, the UAE is turningconstraint into opportunity, using its logistics muscle,regulatory agility and investment firepower to becomea regional hub for aquatech, desalinated exports andwater technology innovation. Dubai’s ecosystem isenabling new partnerships and technologies withglobal relevance. Innovation andinteroperability will definethe water economy Next-generation solutions, such as AI-driven leakdetection, atmospheric water generation anddecentralised treatment systems, are advancing fast.But to scale impact, systems must be interoperable acrossborders. Trade-enabling water infrastructure and data-sharing standards will be key to transforming water froma local risk into a global asset class. CHAPTER 1 By 2030,global freshwaterdemand willoutstrip supplyby 40% with upto $70 trillionin global GDPat risk MARKETSNAPSHOTWater’s rise as a Water is one of the most strategicallysignificant, and unequally distributed,resources on earth. As the globaleconomy grows more interconnected,the ability to secure, trade and allocatewater sustainably is emerging as a keydeterminant of eco