Over four cycles, the award has recognised 43 winners from 26 countries whose projects have improved living conditions in numerous communities worldwide
The UAE has cemented its global leadership through continued support for innovation, grounded in the firm belief of its wise leadership that global challenges can be addressed by empowering creative minds, encouraging scientific research and adopting advanced technologies. Thanks to an ambitious vision that anticipates the future, the UAE has become a global hub for innovation across various sectors, including water, which remains one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges of the 21st century.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, supervised by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE) under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, promotes innovative projects and technologies that produce, desalinate and purify water using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, osmosis and geothermal.
“Under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE places great importance on advancing efforts to develop innovative solutions that enhance global water security. This reflects its humanitarian and developmental commitment to supporting communities in need around the world. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, embodies this commitment by supporting innovators and encouraging creative minds to develop effective, sustainable solutions to address water scarcity,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia UAE.
Prizes totalling USD 1 million
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award offers total prizes worth USD 1 million and comprises four main categories: the Innovative Projects Award, which includes the Large Projects and Small Projects sub-categories; the Innovative Research and Development Award, which includes the National Institutions and International Institutions sub-categories; the Innovative Individual Award, which includes the Distinguished Research and Youth sub-categories; and the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award.
Since its inception, the award has inspired researchers, innovators, academic institutions and research centres around the world to develop practical, sustainable solutions to address the challenge of water scarcity. The fourth cycle of the award received applications from 46 countries, reflecting its status as a leading global platform for innovation in water technologies.
Four cycles, 43 winners
Over the course of its four cycles, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award has recognised 43 winners from 26 countries whose projects have improved living conditions in numerous communities worldwide. In its fourth cycle in 2025, the award recognised 12 winners from eight countries. In a testament to pioneering achievements, the Innovative Projects Award honoured Green Waste Solutions Trading DMCC from the UAE in the Large Projects category while Kumulus SAS from France took top spot in the Small Projects category. In the Innovative Research and Development Award, STEM SAS from France claimed first place in the International Institutions category while Khalifa University from the UAE earned the top distinction in the National Institutions category. The Innovative Crisis Solutions Award went to SkyJuice Foundation Inc from Australia. In the Innovative Individual Award, Professor Guihua Yu from the US was honoured in the Distinguished Research category while Zhenyuan Xu from China was celebrated in the Youth category.
In the third cycle in 2023, 11 winners from eight countries were honoured. Agua Para el Pueblo (Honduras) and the South Asian Forum for Environment (India) were joint winners of the Innovative Projects Award in the Large Projects category while the University of Illinois (US) and Safe Water & AIDS Project (Kenya) were joint winners in the Small Projects category. The University of Malaya, in collaboration with Sunway University (Malaysia), won the Innovative Research and Development Award in the International Institutions category. Professor Peng Wang (China, Hong Kong) took home the Innovative Individual Award in the Distinguished Researcher category while the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award was presented to Mascara NT (France).
The second cycle in 2020 honoured 10 winners from eight countries, including Khalifa University (UAE), which won first place in the Innovative Research and Development Award – National Institutions category, and Liquinex Group PTE Ltd (Singapore) in the International Institutions category, for projects using solar energy for water production. Two winners – Jan Radel (Germany) and Dr Muhammed Wakil Shazad (Pakistan) – were also jointly awarded in the Innovative Individual Award – Youth category.
In the first cycle in 2017, 10 winners from eight countries were honoured, showcasing applicable projects in desalination and water purification, adding a human and educational dimension that reflects the award’s mission and objectives.
CHAT WITH RAMMAS