The prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize has officially opened submissions for its 2026 awards, calling on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), nonprofit organizations, and high schools worldwide to present innovative solutions that drive sustainable progress.
With a US $5.9 million fund, the Prize will recognize winners across six categories—Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools—supporting transformative projects that address pressing global challenges.
H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, emphasized the Prize’s mission:
“By supporting projects that harness new technologies to improve lives and drive prosperity in local communities, the Prize places people at the heart of progress.”
Each winning organization will receive US $1 million, while schools in the Global High Schools category—divided into six regions—can claim up to US $150,000 to implement their projects.
Past winners have improved healthcare in Southeast Asia, tackled food poverty in Africa, and expanded access to clean water in vulnerable communities.The Prize, which received 5,980 submissions from 156 countries in 2024, follows a rigorous three-stage evaluation process.
Submissions will be reviewed based on Impact, Innovation, and Inspiration, with the final winners set to be announced at an Awards Ceremony in 2026.
Applications are now open in multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese.SearchReason
