UAE's Balalaa Warns AI Will Drive Data Centre Water Use Toward 9.32 Trillion Litres

Balalaa made the case in an opinion article published by Energy Intelligence to coincide with ADIPEC 2026, WAM reported. He argued that every energy decision is also a water decision.

On AI, he cited UAE research that projects global water consumption by data centres will rise from 4.5 trillion litres in 2025 to 9.32 trillion litres by 2030, more than double. Data centres use water mainly for cooling. Their water use is drawing more attention as AI computing loads grow, especially in hot, water-scarce regions such as the Gulf, where governments and developers are building large AI campuses.

To meet the demand, Balalaa called for investment in desalination powered by renewable energy and for digital technologies that improve efficiency. He also said private-sector financing is needed to close what he described as a significant funding gap for water and sanitation services in developing countries.

He pointed to the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 as the country's own model. The strategy targets a 21 per cent cut in water demand and 95 per cent reuse of treated water. According to WAM, the UAE runs a network of around 70 desalination plants, which help supply more than 90 per cent of the desalinated drinking water used in the Mideast Gulf region.

Balalaa called the 2026 United Nations Water Conference a chance to turn commitments into decisions. The UAE will co-host the conference with Senegal in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December 2026.

For investors in Gulf data centres and energy, the message is that water supply, usually treated as a utility input, is becoming a project risk alongside power. In the Gulf, much of that water comes from energy-intensive desalination.