Disputes in desalination: Trends, risk allocation, and lessons learned

As geopolitical uncertainty, increasing cyber threats and evolving regulatory requirements continue to transform the risk landscape, safeguarding the resilience of critical water infrastructure is becoming ever more essential.

Desalination projects are complex, long-term infrastructure developments that give rise to a distinctive set of commercial tensions and disputes — spanning construction delays, performance testing failures and force majeure events. This session examines the dispute trends emerging from the region's desalination sector, including the most frequently litigated contractual provisions and the mechanisms typically used to resolve them. Drawing on recent case studies and industry experience, we will identify the key risk allocation lessons that sponsors, lenders, and contractors should bear in mind when negotiating and managing desalination project contracts.

Who should attend

Utilities, project sponsors, EPC contractors, developers, lenders, investors, operators, technology providers, insurers and public sector stakeholders involved in the development, financing, construction and operation of water and desalination infrastructure across the Middle East.