Zayed Sustainability Prize announces 2026 finalists

The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering award for innovative solutions to global challenges, has announced this year’s finalists following a rigorous evaluation by its esteemed Jury.

The winners will be revealed at the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on 13 January 2026, held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize’s Jury selected the 33 finalists from 7,761 entries received across six categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools – a 30% increase in submissions over last year.

Each winner in the Health, Food, Energy, Water, and Climate Action categories will receive $1 million, while each of the six winning Global High Schools will receive up to $150,000.

THE HEALTH FINALISTS ARE: Drop Access, an SME from Kenya, provides solar powered medical refrigeration via Vaccibox, enabling safe transport and storage of over 2.5 million vaccines, medicines, and blood bags, benefiting over one million people.

Healthy Learners, an NPO from Zambia, transforms schools into frontline health hubs by training teachers as health workers, enabling real-time disease detection and treatment for over 1 million children.

Jade Autism, an SME from the United Arab Emirates, develops AI and gamified cognitive tools to screen and support neurodiverse children, with adoption in over 450 institutions across 179 countries.

THE FOOD FINALISTS ARE: E Green Global, an SME from South Korea, produces disease-free seed potatoes using microtuber technology in indoor plant factories, benefiting 15 million people and supplying over 10 million seed potatoes annually.

INMED South Africa, an NPO from South Africa, implements aquaponics systems that integrate fish farming with hydroponic vegetable production for schools and households, benefiting over 158,000 people.

N&E Innovations, an SME from Singapore, creates upcycled, biodegradable antimicrobial sprays and packaging that extend food shelf life and reduce waste, upcycling over 2 tonnes of food waste into 400,000 plus units and reaching 80,000 people across seven countries.

THE ENERGY FINALISTS ARE: BASE Foundation, an NPO from Switzerland, promotes a cooling-as-a-service model that makes clean cooling technologies more accessible through a pay-per-use approach, benefiting 160,000 people, creating 2,500 jobs, and abating over 81,000 tonnes of CO₂ across 68 countries.

GRST, an SME from China (Hong Kong), develops PFAS-free lithium battery binders that enable water-based recycling, producing over 2 million battery cells, creating more than 200 jobs, and reducing battery manufacturing emissions by up to 40%.

Poder y Luz Maya, an NPO from Guatemala, provides solar power systems and digital learning tools for indigenous schools, benefiting over 49,000 people, reducing energy use by more than 4,700 MWh, and abating over 1,200 tonnes of CO.

THE WATER FINALISTS ARE: IRIBA Water Group, an SME from Rwanda, provides solar powered smart water ATMs with UV and RO purification, mobile payments, and digital monitoring to expand access to safe drinking water, benefiting over 517,000 people through 203 water ATMs and creating 194 jobs.

Stattus4, an SME from Brazil, develops AI-powered IoT solutions that detect leaks in water distribution networks, saving 540 million litres of water daily across 250 municipalities, improving water availability for nearly 4 million people.

The Great Bubble Barrier, an SME from the Netherlands, prevents plastic pollution in rivers using a curtain of air bubbles that guides waste to catchment systems without harming aquatic life, benefiting 2 million people and removing 180 tonnes of pollutants from waterways.

THE CLIMATE ACTION FINALISTS ARE: Build Up Nepal, an NPO from Nepal, develops earthquake-resilient eco-bricks that support sustainable construction, benefiting more than 58,000 people, empowering 200 entrepreneurs, and abating over 110,000 tonnes of CO.

CLIC RECYCLE, an SME from Spain, converts human hair waste into biodegradable mulch and marine filters, engaging over 7,000 users, removing 180 tonnes of pollutants, and improving soil water retention by up to 40%.

GREE Energy, an SME from China (Hong Kong), creates modular biogas systems for rural food processors, benefiting 4,000 farmers, generating 9.3 GWh of clean energy, and abating 140,000 tonnes of CO.