UAE names finalists for Zayed Sustainability Prize 2027 — The National
The UAE has announced the finalists for the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2027 after receiving a record 10,233 applications from 177 countries. This is 32% more than last year and the highest number of applications in the award’s history, The National reports.
Finalists were selected in the categories of health, food, energy, water, climate action and Global High Schools. The winners will be announced on January 12 during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Grants for finalists
Each finalist will receive funding regardless of the final outcome. Organisations in the five main categories will receive $100,000 each, while school finalists will receive $25,000 each. Winners in the organisational categories will receive $1 million each, while Global High Schools winners will receive $150,000 each.
The increased funding was introduced in 2026. The prize’s director general, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al-Jaber, said the finalists’ work is aimed at practical needs and measurable impact.
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Solutions in health, water and climate
Among the contenders in healthcare are US-based Elythea, which uses artificial intelligence to predict pregnancy complications six to eight months in advance; the Netherlands’ Goal 3, with a system for monitoring the condition of children and newborns; and Spain’s Marsi Bionics, with a robotic children’s exoskeleton.
In the water category, India’s Solinas presented artificial intelligence-powered robots for detecting and fixing leaks in water supply and sewer pipes. Climate category finalists include Peru’s Aquafondo, which restores traditional Andean water systems; Coral Gardeners from French Polynesia, which plants heat-resistant corals; and India’s String Bio, with a microbial solution for rice fields.
In the Global High Schools category, the Middle East and North Africa region will be represented by Applied Technology Schools from Ajman, as well as schools from Syria and Lebanon. According to the prize, its projects have already affected the lives of more than 411 million people worldwide.
