Al Miyah Challenge Launches to Tackle Water Use in Farming

Post by: Omar Nasser

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative has started a new contest called the Al Miyah Challenge. This contest is made to find new and smart ways to save water. The first part of the contest is about farming. It looks for ideas that help farmers use less water but still grow more food.

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The total prize money for this challenge is AED 8 million. People from the UAE and from other countries can take part. To join, teams must show that their idea works. They will try their ideas in the UAE in December 2026. If the ideas work well, they might also be used in other dry and hot places in the world.

The Al Miyah Challenge will run many contests in the future. Each one will look for smart ways to use water better in different fields like farming or daily life. The goal is to find ideas that really work and help places where water is hard to find.

For this farming contest, the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative is working with three big groups. These are the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), ASPIRE, and Silal Food and Technology. These groups will help guide and support the teams.

Ayesha Al Ateeqi, who is the leader of the Water Initiative, said this contest will help find water ideas that are not just smart but also useful. She said farming uses a lot of water—about 70% of the world’s water—and we need new ways to save it, especially in dry places like the UAE.

She also said the winning ideas should be easy to use in other countries that do not have much water. The aim is to make water easy to reach, low in cost, and safe for everyone.

Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, a top officer at ADAFSA, said their team will help make sure the best ideas fit the UAE’s big goals. These include keeping food safe and saving water. She said this contest follows the dream of UAE leaders to use smart tools and good habits to help nature and farming.

She added that the contest will help turn good ideas from paper into real use. Once they work in the UAE, they can also help farmers in other dry places.

Stephane Timpano, head of ASPIRE, said new ideas are important for farming that lasts a long time. He said this challenge helps turn fresh ideas into real tools for farmers. His team is happy to work with the Water Initiative to make this happen.

Salmeen Al Ameri, head of Silal, said the UAE has big problems with water when it comes to farming. He said the answer is to use new thinking and work together.

To join, teams must already have a working idea that they can try out in farms in the UAE. If their idea is good, they can then use it in real farms across the country.

The winner of the contest will get AED 3.7 million. They will also be given more chances to test their idea in the UAE. Other top teams will also win money from the rest of the prize pool.

All teams will go through a full checking process. They will have to show their ideas in front of judges and prove that it works in real farms. Judges will pick ideas that are smart, helpful, and ready to use.

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