The 2017 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), slated to begin next Monday (January 16) is expected to attract 38,000 attendees from 175 countries.

Hosted by Masdar, this year's theme is, ‘Practical Steps Towards a Sustainable Future’. The week’s anchor event, the World Future Energy Summit, WFES, will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a strong focus on technology, innovation and finance, reported Wam, the official Emirates news agency.

Last year, global investment in renewables reached an all-time high of nearly $300 billion. Competitive bids for solar energy projects in the UAE have twice broken records for the lowest price for solar power generation at less than $0.03 per kilowatt-hour, according to the organisers.

First held in 2008, WFES is firmly established as the leading event for green energy investors, buyers and vendors across Mena, as well as South Asia. The four-day event will host leading decision makers from major renewables markets including Saudi Arabia, India, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt and the UAE – countries with more than 200 GW worth of sustainable energy projects in the pipeline.

Bookings show the event is likely to host around 880 companies from 40 countries. More than 50 percent of exhibitors at the event are small and medium sized enterprises, SMEs, from leading clean tech nations including Germany, France, Japan, China, the US and the UK, further illustrating the commercial dynamism and maturity of the sector.

ADSW 2017 will see the return of important co-located events that promote a complete cycle of sustainability, including the 5th International Water Summit, supported by Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, ADWEA, and the 4th EcoWASTE exhibition and conference, held in partnership with Tadweer, The Centre of Waste Management in Abu Dhabi.

The International Water Summit, IWS, is a global platform for promoting water sustainability in arid regions by bringing together world leaders, field experts, academics and business innovators to accelerate the development of new sustainable strategies and technologies.

EcoWASTE is an international platform for promoting sustainable waste management practices and recycling, and is the region’s largest gathering for waste management and recycling professionals. Held under the slogan, ‘From Waste to Resource’, EcoWASTE aims to support the region's urgent waste disposal challenges in the quest for sustainable development and environmental protection