Global Water Award attracts large number of participants

DUBAI: As the deadline for registration in the 3rd cycle of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award draws closer by the end of this April, the UAE Water Aid Foundation ‘Suqia’ announced that several countries are taking part in the Award, totalling US$1 million in prizes, for the first time. These include Algeria and Kenya; who will join the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, UK, India, Germany, Greece, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia UAE, expressed his pleasure at the growing global participation in the Award, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The global water award aims at providing drinking water to the underprivileged and disaster-stricken communities worldwide, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, culture or nationality.

Al Tayer pointed out that expanding the Award’s scope to include new technologies that produce, distribute, store, monitor, desalinate, and purify water using renewable energy as well as adding the Innovative Crisis Solutions category, have encouraged more organisations and individuals to participate and contribute to finding sustainable and innovative solutions to address water scarcity.

The total value of the Innovative Projects Award is US$540,000 ( US$240,000 for small projects awards and US$300,000 for large project award), while the total value of the Innovative R&D Award is US$400,000 ( National Institutions Award: US$200,000 - International Institutions Award: US$200,000). In addition, the Innovative Individual Award gives away US$40,000 (Youth Award winner: US$ 20,000 - Distinguished Researcher Award: US$20,000); while the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award winner will be awarded US$20,000.

All companies, research centres, R&D institutes, innovators and youth from all over the world, who have developed innovative technologies capable of addressing the challenge of water scarcity, are invited to register in the 3rd cycle of the Award before April 30th, 2021.