Sheikh Mohammed Honours Winners of Global Water Award in Dubai

Photo : Dubai Government Media Office

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honoured the winners of the 4th Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award during a special ceremony held at the Emirates Towers. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, was also present at the event.

This award is organised by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE), under the broader initiative of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. In this fourth edition, a total of 12 winners from 8 different countries were recognised. The total prize money was $1 million, and the awards were given in four main categories: Innovative Projects, Research and Development, Individual Efforts, and Crisis Solutions.

Sheikh Mohammed shared an important message during the event. He said that the UAE is always working to help people around the world and wants to use new ideas and technology to solve global problems. One of the biggest issues facing the world today, he said, is the lack of clean drinking water.

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“We believe in finding smart, long-term solutions to give more people access to clean water,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “Our goal is to support every idea or project that improves people’s lives. We want to make sure our support reaches those who need it the most.”

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of Suqia UAE, thanked Sheikh Mohammed for always supporting humanitarian efforts. He said this award matches Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of creating real-world solutions for people who don’t have access to safe water. Al Tayer also pointed out how the UAE is playing a key role in fighting water shortages around the world.

He shared that, according to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people still don’t have safe drinking water. UNICEF also says that more than 1,000 children under the age of five die every day due to diseases caused by unsafe water, poor sanitation, and hygiene.

Suqia UAE, which marks its 10th year, has helped about 15 million people in 37 countries by working on more than 1,000 water projects. These include building systems that clean water, use solar energy, or collect water from the air. Many of these projects were done with help from the Emirates Red Crescent and other groups.

Al Tayer said the award has become a global platform that encourages companies, scientists, and young people to come up with creative ways to clean and supply water. These ideas often use renewable energy like solar and wind, which helps protect the environment too.

In earlier editions, 31 winners from 22 countries had been awarded. This year, entries came in from 46 countries, and 12 winners were chosen from eight of them. Below is a brief on this year’s award winners:

Winners of the Fourth Edition
Large Innovative Projects
1st Place: Green Waste Solutions Trading DMCC (UAE) – For a system called LANDCO Tech, which turns organic waste and dirty water into clean drinking water, renewable energy, and fertiliser. It runs using solar power and biogas and includes smart technologies like AI and blockchain.

2nd Place: SIPCO (Vietnam) – For using ceramic filters with nano-silver to give safe drinking water to schools and villages. It’s affordable and helps millions.

3rd Place: Sotrad Water Srl (Belgium) – For a solar-powered system called Pump&Drink® - Hydro1000 that provides clean water to more than 200,000 people.

Small Innovative Projects
1st Place: Kumulus SAS (France) – For a device that creates about 30 litres of water per day from air using solar energy. It’s useful for schools and rural areas.

2nd Place: Jiangsu Fenghai and Hangzhou Sunup (China) – For a seawater cleaning system powered by solar or wind that gives clean water to an island community.

3rd Place: FountAir LTD (Hong Kong) – For a system that runs on renewable energy and provides up to 150 litres of water daily. It’s already being used in several countries.

Research and Development – International Institutions
1st Place: STEM SAS (France) – For AQUAHIVE, a system that cleans water using solar and geothermal heat with the help of AI to save energy.

2nd Place: ENOWA – NEOM (Saudi Arabia) – For a project that cleans saltwater and recovers valuable minerals like lithium and salt. It uses less energy than older systems.

Research and Development – National Institutions
1st Place: Khalifa University (UAE) – For a water-making system that copies how mangrove trees pull water from the sea. It doesn’t leave behind any waste salt water.

Crisis Solutions
1st Place: SkyJuice Foundation Inc (Australia) – For a lightweight, portable water filter called SkyHydrant that can produce 5,000 litres of drinking water every day. It is used during natural disasters and emergencies in 74 countries.

Innovative Individuals
Distinguished Research Award: Professor Guihua Yu (USA) – For creating new ways to clean water using the sun, including filters made from biodegradable materials. He has more than 20 patents and leads a major water research lab.

Youth Award: Zhenyuan Xu (China) – For designing a super-efficient water distiller that works using the sun. It’s low-cost, easy to use, and can make over 1.5 gallons of water per hour for each square metre.