The United Arab Emirates’ Zayed Sustainability Prize has whittled down nearly 8,000 applications to just 33 finalists whose innovations could reshape how millions access clean energy, safe water, and healthcare. Winners will be announced on January 13, 2026, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, following evaluation of 7,761 submissions from 173 countries.
What stands out this year isn’t just the 30% jump in applications it’s the range of problems these finalists are solving. A Kenyan company keeps vaccines cold using solar power. Schools in Zambia double as health clinics. An artificial intelligence tool screens children for autism across 179 countries. These aren’t theoretical solutions; they’re already working in communities that traditional systems have struggled to reach.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology who oversees the prize, framed the finalists’ work as proof that environmental sustainability and economic growth can advance together rather than compete. His emphasis on technology, finance, and local leadership reflects a pragmatic approach these solutions need to be affordable and scalable, not just innovative.
The numbers tell part of the story. Through 128 previous winners over 17 years, the prize has helped more than 400 million people gain access to essentials like drinking water, electricity, nutritious food, and medical care. That’s not potential impact it’s documented results from organizations that received funding and went on to expand their work.
This year’s 33 finalists span six categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools. Each winning organization in the first five categories receives one million dollars, while schools get up to $150,000. But the competition reveals something more interesting than just prize money it shows where grassroots innovation is actually happening.
Take the water category. Rwanda’s IRIBA Water Group has installed 203 solar-powered water dispensers that accept mobile payments and serve over half a million people. In Brazil, Stattus4 uses sensors and AI to detect leaks in municipal systems, saving 540 million liters daily across 250 cities. The Netherlands’ Great Bubble Barrier stops river pollution with literally air bubbles that guide plastic waste into collection points without harming fish.
The food finalists are equally diverse. South Korea’s E Green Global grows disease-free seed potatoes indoors using microtuber technology, supplying 10 million seeds annually. South Africa’s INMED combines fish farming with hydroponic vegetables in schools. Singapore’s N&E Innovations converts food waste into biodegradable packaging that extends shelf life.
Energy solutions range from Switzerland’s BASE Foundation, which makes clean cooling technologies accessible through pay-per-use models in 68 countries, to Guatemala’s Poder y Luz Maya, providing solar power and digital learning tools to indigenous schools. Hong Kong’s GRST developed water-based lithium battery recycling that cuts manufacturing emissions by 40%.
Climate finalists include Nepal’s Build Up Nepal, creating earthquake-resistant eco-bricks that have helped 58,000 people while preventing 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Spain’s CLIC RECYCLE turns human hair into biodegradable mulch and marine filters. Hong Kong’s GREE Energy builds modular biogas systems for rural food processors.
The Global High Schools category selected 18 schools across six regions, from Brazil to the Philippines, all developing student-led sustainability projects. It’s an acknowledgment that the next generation isn’t waiting for permission to start solving problems.
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, chair of the prize jury and former president of Iceland, described the finalists as evidence that sustainability has moved from aspiration to reality. He’s got a point these aren’t hypothetical designs or laboratory prototypes. They’re organizations already serving millions of people, often in places where infrastructure is weakest and need is greatest.
What connects most finalists is how they’ve adapted proven technologies to local contexts. Solar power becomes vaccine refrigeration in Kenya, leak detection in Brazil, water purification in Rwanda. AI screens for developmental disorders in one place, manages water systems in another. The innovation isn’t always in inventing something new it’s in making existing solutions work where they’re needed most.
The UAE launched this prize honoring Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the country’s founding leader whose vision emphasized sustainable development. Nearly two decades later, it’s become one of the more significant global platforms for grassroots environmental innovation, particularly in developing economies where traditional funding sources remain scarce.
Whether these 33 finalists win or not, they’re already doing the work. The prize just gives them capital to scale faster and visibility to attract additional support. For millions of people who’ll benefit from expanded access to water, energy, food, and healthcare, that acceleration matters more than any award ceremony.
