On a beautiful weekend in May, MENA2050 convened a select group of some of its members from across the Middle East and North Africa at the historic Château d’Ermenonville in France. The meeting's focus was twofold: to deepen regional cooperation around food and water security and to explore innovative approaches to tackling these interlinked challenges at a time of escalating climate and geopolitical uncertainty.

Set in an atmosphere of reflection and forward thinking, the gathering opened with a strategic conversation on water security, a core challenge with profound cross-border implications. The session featured in-depth discussions on sustainable water management, shared resource governance, and the role of technology and diplomacy in preventing future water conflicts.

The second day of the conference focused on food security in the MENA region. Participants exchanged experiences and best practices—from scaling regenerative agriculture and climate-smart farming to building stronger policy ecosystems that support local innovation and sustainability.

Then, the conference focused on a case study of the Food-Water-Energy nexus.

Throughout the gathering, participants emphasized the urgency of translating dialogue into action. The weekend featured breakout sessions dedicated to building actionable pilot initiatives, identifying potential regional collaborations, and surfacing opportunities for multilateral engagement.

The serene and historic setting of Château d’Ermenonville provided a powerful backdrop for honest exchange, trust-building, and strategic alignment. The conversations were candid, focused, and infused with a spirit of mutual respect and shared responsibility.

We are deeply grateful to all those who took part in this important meeting. Your insights, energy, and commitment helped shape a meaningful step toward building a more resilient and cooperative future for the MENA region.

MENA2050 remains dedicated to fostering these types of high-trust, high-impact conversations—and to supporting concrete efforts that bridge borders and deliver solutions where they are most needed.

Read the conference summary here: https://www.mena2050.org/news/executive-report%3A-water%2C-food-security-and-regional-cooperation-a-mena2050-collaborative-roundtable-conference