UAE initiative contributes to finding sustainable solutions to global water crisis

Since it was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award has seen a notable development in terms of the types of innovative projects, increased number of beneficiaries and participating countries, and expanded range of award categories.

With total prizes of $1 million, the biennial award aims to encourage developing innovative solutions for the water scarcity problem around the world.

The award, which is supervised by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE), and has gained the attention of institutions, research centres, and innovators, turning into a global platform for developing practical and sustainable solutions to the global water crisis using renewable energy.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia UAE, said, “Thanks to the unlimited support by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award proved its significant role in supporting the UAE’s efforts to effectively contribute to providing solutions to the challenges the world is facing and helping less developed communities combat challenges and achieve the sustainable development. In addition to the Award, Suqia UAE, under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, works to reduce the suffering of less fortunate communities worldwide through developmental and humanitarian projects implemented by Suqia outside the UAE to provide clean water to underprivileged communities. Since its establishment in 2015, Suqia UAE's projects have benefitted 14.9 million people worldwide."

Similar to the previous cycles, the 4th cycle of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award has gained significant attention from companies, research centres, organisations, and innovators. Over the past 3 cycles of the award, 31 winners from 22 countries were rewarded for their innovative projects in water desalination and purification using renewable energy sources including solar, wind, biomass, ocean, gradient salinity, and geothermal technologies.

A total of 11 winners from 8 countries were honoured in the third cycle of the award, which received participations from 56 countries worldwide. The second cycle awarded 10 winners from 8 countries, with participations from 39 countries. The first cycle honoured 10 winners from 8 countries with participations from 43 countries.

Expansion of the categories of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award:

In 2020, Suqia UAE expanded the range of the 3rd cycle of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award to include new technologies dedicated to producing, distributing, storing, monitoring, desalinating, and purifying water using renewable energy. This is a part of Suqia’s efforts to encourage more research centres and individuals to take part in the award and increase the number of people benefiting from sustainable and innovative solutions to face the issue of water scarcity around the world. Suqia also added the new ‘Innovative Crisis Solutions Award’ to the existing three categories.

Currently, the award comprises four main categories. The first category is the Innovative Projects Award, with two subcategories: Small Projects Award with prizes of $240,000 distributed among the top three winners, and the Large Projects Awards with prizes totalling $300,000 distributed among the top three winners.

The second category is the Innovative Research and Development Award, with two subcategories: the National Institutions Award granting $200,000 distributed among the top three winners, and the International Institutions Award granting $200,000 distributed among the top three winners.

The third category is the Innovative Individual Award, with two subcategories: the Youth Award offering $20,000 for one winner, the Distinguished Researcher Award offering $20,000 for one winner. The fourth category is the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award granting $20,000 for one winner.

WAM