The CEO of Masdar – host of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the 6th World Future Energy Summit, the 5th International Renewable Energy Conference, and much more — gave one of the most forceful and pointed speeches.

In text form, here are some of the great statements made by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber in his speech :

“The close relationship between water and energy can no longer be underestimated. No longer can we address water without considering the energy needed to withdraw, treat, and transport it. And no longer can we address energy without considering the water needed to extract, generate, and produce it.”

I’m not going to lie — water has been somewhat under-discussed. There is a considerable relationship between water and energy, and while we are certainly facing a huge climate crisis, we are also in the midst of a huge water crisis that is similarly important.

“Today, roughly 7% of the world’s energy consumption is used for water, when nearly 50% of the water withdrawn is used for energy.”

Those are some staggering numbers. I don’t think I’d ever seen that latter one before. But if you read my submission to the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week blogging contest or my post a couple years ago on “water & energy facts,” you should know that nuclear, coal, oil, and natural gas power plants do use an insane amount of water… but that solar PV and wind power use a minuscule amount of water, and are those much better options in an increasingly water-constrained world. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber didn’t specifically note this in his is speech, but I’m sure he’s well aware of it, and I’d guess that is one reason why Masdar, Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and other countries in the Middle East are increasingly looking to solar PV as one of their prime energy solutions.

“Ladies and gentlemen, energy and water security rests on two key principles: reducing demand, and accelerating technology that improves access. But fundamental to these principles is the need to address water and energy through an integrated strategy and as one. Because by doing so, we will drive economic growth and foster human development, improve resource security and ease geopolitical tension. This is the balance needed for sustainable growth.”

Quite frankly, you don’t hear such statements every day, and it was certainly refreshing to hear them at all, but especially in a region so important when it comes to global energy and water issues.

“Achieving it will require creating the necessary regulations and policies, forging public and private partnerships, and driving the investment required to deliver real solutions. And solutions that will require a collective action, on a massive scale, from both governments and businesses.

“Realizing action on such scale, may be viewed by some as a challenge. However, the UAE views this as a unique opportunity. An opportunity to expand economic sectors, diversify the economy and establish policies to drive investment.

This ambition to tackle these issues while diversifying its economy was perhaps the most interesting thing I learned during my week in Abu Dhabi. It’s fascinating what’s happening in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, and in the Middle East, in general. I will write a full article (or two) on this matter.

Going back to the beginning of Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber’s speech, which I could not capture on video but do have in text, we can read some of his most striking statements:

“We are gathered here today because we are confronted with a shared responsibility. A shared responsibility to address the intricate balance between our rising economies, our growing societies, and our limited resources. A balance that is crucial to achieving a sustainable future. And a balance that rests on two critical and deeply linked elements — energy and water. Without access to both, economic growth and human development cannot thrive and poverty and conflict cannot be prevented.

“In the UAE, a nation with the 5th largest proven oil reserves, our leadership believes that water… is more important than oil. We believe that water and energy require the equal attention of world leaders.”

While it should be obvious that water is more important than oil, there’s no denying that oil goes for a much higher price on the global market, and that a greater economic and political focus is put on oil in many parts of the world. Also, it is a bit astounding to see a leader in such an oil-rich country focus on the need to tackle oil and water issues jointly, especially when it’s clear that oil use is a problematic water issue (and that using cleantech — solar PV, wind power, and electric vehicles — is a key solution). Of course, Dr Al Jaber is the head of a clean energy company, but nonetheless, this was a very powerful statement made at an opening ceremony that included the President of France, the Queen of Jordan, the President of Argentina, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, and many other important people.