The upcoming Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) will witness significant growth in the number of participating countries and visitors, by a rate exceeding 250 per cent over the past 10 years, a media report said.

The event will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, from January 12 to 19, reported state news agency Wam.

The event’s participation rate increased annually since its launch in 2008 until it became a major annual eight-day event.

Wam will report on the current edition of the event, which will be hosted by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, under the theme ‘Industry Convergence: Accelerating Sustainable Development’.

The week will promote eight key pillars that explore how industries are responding to the digital transformation underway in the global economy, which in turn is giving rise to new opportunities to address global sustainability challenges.

The activities will begin with the general assembly meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), which will be attended by presidents of countries, ministers, high-level figures from member countries, and monitoring organisations from around the world.

The two-day Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum will also take place, which is the first gathering of governments and leaders of relevant sectors, who will draft this year’s world energy agenda to respond to the latest developments in the energy sector.

The opening ceremony will be held on January 14 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) and will be attended by over 4,000 guests. The inaugural ceremony will include the Zayed Sustainability Prize.

The event will witness - for the first time - the 'Future Summit', which will join policymakers, heads of sectors, academics and innovators to discuss how to create a sustainable future. It will also host the 'Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum', which is the first event of its kind in Abu Dhabi.

The event will also host the World Future Energy Summit, which will include specialist companies that will present their latest technologies. It will also involve speakers and experts in the areas of energy, water, transport and green buildings, and will include an exhibition that will feature the participation of over 850 companies from 40 countries.

There will be a ‘Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy Forum' (WiSER), which will aim to inspire and empower women and enable them to play an effective role in facing global sustainability challenges.

The week will witness the launch of many important initiatives, including Reinforcing Awareness Through Art, which is a unique art exhibition that will showcase local and international artworks inspired by the United Nations Development Goals.

The annual two-day event concludes with "The Festival at Masdar City," whose previous edition was attended by over 8,000 visitors.