المملكة: Water Innovation Award…a Saudi platform that leads the global race
In just three years, (GPIW), launched by in 2023, from a specialized initiative to an international platform that attracts hundreds of universities, laboratories and startup companies.
Global Water Innovation Award
During the first three cycles, the cumulative number of entries exceeded the barrier of 600 entries from academic and research bodies and startups, but the upward trajectory was not linear; The first edition in 2023 attracted 85 entities, before the number jumped to 199 entities in 2024, then to 316 entities in 2025, in a growth curve that reveals the award’s transition from a limited scope to a broader network that includes institutions and innovators from different continents.
The most significant indicator appeared in the third edition of 2025; The number of applications increased from 540 applications from 56 countries in 2024, to more than 2,570 applications from 119 countries in 2025, with a growth rate of more than 400% within one year.
This expansion was accompanied by more selective screening, which ended with the selection of 36 innovative projects from 22 countries to reach the final stage, the results of which are scheduled to be announced next Monday, December 8 in Jeddah, which means that the competition is moving. In a smaller scope and more quality.
Powerful research laboratories
Participation maps, in turn, give an important indication of the nature of the platform that the award constitutes; The list includes universities and research laboratories from countries with scientific and technological weight, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, Belgium, and Brazil, in addition to emerging countries in the scene such as Morocco and other countries from various regions of the world.
This combination of well-established research centers and markets experiencing increasing pressure on their water resources makes the award a meeting point between those who produce knowledge and those who face the urgent need to apply it.
The detailed numbers paint a clearer picture, as the number of participating countries more than doubled between the 2024 and 2025 editions, and the number of applicants jumped by more than 375%, while the number of participating entities increased from 85 to 2025. 316 entities in just three years.
Water Technologies
In a market crowded with initiatives and awards, growth rates usually slow down after the first years, which makes the continuation of this acceleration an indication that the award is reserving a stable position in the calendar of innovators in water technologies.
At the content level, the award focuses on applicable solutions in water management, desalination, treatment and reuse, with a clear presence of emerging companies that offer new technologies in water efficiency, Reducing the cost of desalination, improving the quality of treatment, and raising reuse rates. This design makes the award closer to an investment platform in applied ideas, rather than just an academic honor for theoretical projects.
The World Water Innovation Award is presented as one of the largest specialized awards in the water sector globally. It aims to enable innovation, adopt modern technologies, and support the next generation of innovators, through multiple competitive paths and an international jury that includes experts, entrepreneurs, and academics from different countries, to ensure a balanced evaluation that takes into account technical and economic feasibility and the ability to make an actual impact on the water landscape.
Water Sector
In this context, the participation numbers do not appear to be just an indication of interest in a new Saudi activity, as much as they reflect a gap that is rapidly being closed between research laboratories and decision-making sites in the sector. Water.
When applications exceed 2,570 applications from 119 countries in one copy, and are reduced to 36 qualified projects from 22 countries, this means that the award is gradually turning into a sorting and focusing tool; It captures from hundreds of ideas what could be turned into solutions that can be deployed on a larger scale.
As this upward trajectory in numbers continues, the award presents itself as an influential player in accelerating the transition of innovations from the laboratory to application, in a sector facing increasing pressures from population growth, climate change and the cost of infrastructure.
If the growth curve continues as shown by the first three years, the World Water Innovation Prize is likely to become a regular reference point to follow where research minds and emerging companies are heading in dealing with one One of the most sensitive issues of the century: how to provide safe and sustainable water, with smarter tools and lower costs.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter
