Suqia UAE Board of Trustees approved the shortlist of finalists for the 3rd cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

With a total prize of USD 1 million, the Award aims to encourage research institutions, individuals and innovators globally to develop new technologies dedicated to producing, distributing, storing, monitoring, desalinating, and purifying water using renewable energy; to address the challenge of water scarcity. Suqia UAE is under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.

The decision to approve the shortlist came during the Suqia UAE Board of Trustees fourth meeting for 2021, held virtually and chaired by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in the presence of Board Members: Fahad Abdelrahman bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary-General for Development and International Cooperation at Emirates Red Crescent and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia; Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs; Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President, Khalifa University of Science Technology; Dr Ahmed Ali Murad, Associate Provost for Research at United Arab Emirates University; Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation at DEWA; Waleed bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA; Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia UAE; and Humaid Abdulla Al Hammadi, Acting Secretary of the Board. The meeting was also attended by members of the Technical Committee of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Water Award.

Al Tayer praised the level of transparency and accuracy for sorting applications for the 3rd cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Water Award, noting that nominations were evaluated according to strict judging criteria as per the highest local and international standards. Moreover, Al Tayer touched upon the Award’s role in realising the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to enhance the contribution of both the UAE and Dubai to provide solutions for poor and afflicted communities around the world. The Award also consolidates Dubai’s global status as a catalyst for innovation, a destination for innovators, and an incubator for creators.

The 3rd Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award features four categories: The Innovative Projects Award, the Innovative Individual Award, the Innovative R&D Award, and the Innovative Crisis Solutions Award. The 3rd cycle has attracted participants from 56 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, UK, India, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, UAE, as well as first-time participants from Algeria, Kenya, Israel, Australia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malawi, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zambia.