Dubai, UAE- The Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (DECCA) has concluded the inaugural Dubai Environment Conference and Exhibition (DECE 2026), which it hosted at the Grand Hyatt Dubai under the theme “Protecting Our Environment, Securing Our Future”.
Attended by environmental leaders, decision makers, researchers, and leaders from private, public and academic sectors, the conference offered a platform to review Dubai’s environmental priorities and discuss relevant policies that shape the future of our environment.
On its stand, DECCA introduced its annual report that details the latest research across its core mandates; including air quality in the emirate and the monitoring behind it; Dubai’s land and marine biodiversity; analysis of the emirate’s food system and its resilience; as well as recent updates from Dubai’s natural reserves and protected areas.
“Our annual report covers all the verticals that fall within DECCA’s mandate, and we are committed to publishing it for one reason,” said His Excellency Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director General of DECCA. “Putting our data in front of researchers, partners and the public is an invitation to explore how we can work together towards a shared mission of sustaining our environment to the benefit of the next generation.”
The report underpins DECCA’s policies, and its emphasis on monitoring, reporting and verification as the foundation of environmental governance. These same principles shaped the peer-reviewed scientific forum alongside the executive programme, with more than thirty research presentations from universities and institutes across the region.
Expert Insights Lead Dubai’s Environmental Agenda
Across DECE’s two days, DECCA experts lead six of the conference’s panel discussions on biodiversity, air quality, food security, the path to net zero, climate adaptation and environmental innovation. Meanwhile, DECCA’s teams joined local and global experts to discuss marine and terrestrial ecosystems, air quality management, water resources, food systems and wildlife protection.
Specialist panels kicked off on day-1 with the “One Ocean Connecting Us: Conserving Coastal Marine Ecosystems” panel. His Excellency Yousuf Lootah, CEO of Corporate Strategy and Performance, who heads the Dubai Can sustainable initiatives and Dubai Reef project in the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), detailed the concept and impact of Dubai Reef that aims to deploy 20,000 purpose-built reef modules across 600 square kilometres in Dubai’s waters.
“Marine biodiversity is a strategic asset for Dubai, one we are actively safeguarding and enhancing,” Lootah said. “Through DUBAI REEF, we are supporting the growth of a thriving marine habitat, guided by science and delivered through public-private partnership. While the deployment of 20,000 purpose-built modules will support reef enhancement efforts, the initiative will also create valuable opportunities for academic research that can inform marine conservation beyond Dubai. This is a model Dubai intends to demonstrate and share.”
Seven Strategic Partnerships Support Environmental Priorities
Aligned with its efforts to foster collaboration with various sectors, DECCA signed seven agreements and strategic partnerships, each addressing a key pillar of the Authority’s mandate. Alongside strategic partnerships with Dubai Customs, and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), DECCA entered into five agreements with private sector entities that serve the environmental priorities of the emirate.
“Dubai has set itself the goal of ranking among the world’s 10 leading cities for environment and resource sustainability, and we will not arrive there through regulation alone,” said His Excellency Ahmad Mohammad bin Thani. “We will arrive there through active partnership and system integration across all sectors. By exchanging data for enhance food security, accelerating transitioning to sustainable mobility, and harnessing research to inform environmental policies, we transform institutional collaborations into real impact that serves our current and future plans.”
DECCA’s agreement with Dubai Customs supports the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It establishes a framework for cooperation between both entities through integrated environmental monitoring system and advanced technologies for identifying high-risk shipments through Dubai’s ports and crossings.
Meanwhile, DECCA’s agreement with IUCN enhances collaboration avenues and knowledge exchange to protect the nature and biodiversity, while harnessing international expertise to support Dubai’s efforts to safeguard natural resources and ecosystems.
Agreement with Union Coop will connect the emirate’s largest consumer cooperative directly to Dubai’s food security platform. Under the agreement, data on strategic and essential food commodities will feed the food security platform. Union Coop will also work with DECCA on public awareness programmes covering environmental sustainability and food security.
A parallel agreement with Emirates Co-op extends the same framework across the major cooperative network, linking its data to the food security platform, ensuring access to foodstuffs and ultimately supporting food security systems in Dubai.
Meanwhile, a partnership with Al-Futtaim will advance green mobility and clean transport solutions, decarbonise supply chains, with education and youth programmes explored through the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation.
Another agreement with Jameel Motors supports the use of Farizon electric commercial vehicles in agreed trials, demonstrations and sustainability initiatives across Dubai, giving businesses greater exposure to commercial electric mobility in real-world settings. The two organisations will also explore pilot projects to assess the environmental and operational benefits EVs can offer to businesses and organisations.
An agreement with Emirates NBD will various initiatives, including mangrove nurseries, coral restoration and marine protection, tree planting at approved sites, and various volunteering and environmental awareness programmes.
The inaugural DECE 2026 brought together government leaders, policymakers, academics, industry leaders, researchers, innovators and youth around six strategic themes: Climate action, biodiversity, food security, natural resources, the circular economy, and environmental artificial intelligence. The event supported DECCA’s efforts in line with National Climate Change Plan 2017–2050, the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy, the National Green Agenda 2030, the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
SOURCE: MEDIA RELEASE / SUPPLIED CONTENT WITH IMAGES
