"Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative" Announcing the teams qualifying for the semi-finals of the competition "XPRIZE to reduce water scarcity"

Abu Dhabi, 13 May / WAM / The Mohamed Bin Zayed Water Initiative and the XPRIZE Foundation announced today that 37 teams have qualified for the semi-finals of the XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition, in a step that represents an important milestone in the competition’s journey and reflects the growing global interest in accelerating the pace of developing pioneering technologies that contribute to confronting the challenge of water scarcity worldwide.

The competition was launched during the month of March 2024 in partnership with the “XPRIZE” Foundation. It is a global competition that extends over a period of five years and offers prizes worth a total of $119 million, with a contribution amounting to $150 million provided by the “Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative”, as the first project within the initiative.

The competition aims to expand access to clean drinking water by developing innovative water desalination solutions that are more cost-efficient, more sustainable and scalable, which reflects the initiative’s vision aimed at accelerating innovation, enhancing international awareness of the challenges of water scarcity, and supporting the development, testing and dissemination of widely applicable solutions, which contributes to building a future that ensures the abundance of water resources for all in a sustainable manner and at reasonable costs.

The teams qualified for the semi-finals stage were selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on the criteria of technical merit, feasibility, and operational performance within the competition’s two tracks: Track (A) and Track (B).

20 teams in Track A of the competition – which focuses on system-level innovation – will receive prizes worth a total of $5 million, while 17 teams in Track B – which focuses on new materials and methods – will receive prizes worth a total of $300,000 to continue developing and testing their solutions.

Aisha Al Ateeqi, Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative, said on this occasion that water scarcity represents one of the most prominent challenges facing our time today, and the Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative is committed to accelerating the development and dissemination of qualitative solutions and innovative technologies that contribute to confronting this worsening global crisis.

She added that the initiative’s partnership with the

For her part, Anousheh Ansari, CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, said that the Foundation is working through the “XPRIZE Competition to Reduce Water Scarcity” to reshape the future of access to this vital resource, by supporting the development of innovative solutions that contribute to providing clean and safe drinking water for everyone around the world.

She explained that the qualification of these teams to the semi-finals stage represents an important step towards developing scalable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective water desalination technologies to meet the most important needs of human life, especially in communities most affected by water scarcity.

For her part, Lauren Greenlee, Executive Vice President of the Food, Water and Waste Sector at the XPRIZE Foundation, said that the competition redefines the concept of what is possible in a sector that has long been affected by cost restrictions, high energy consumption, and environmental impact, pointing out that the announcement of the teams qualifying for the semi-finals represents a milestone in the first stage of the practical tests of the competition.

She added that as we move to the next stage, this group of teams is moving forward with accelerated steps towards developing water desalination systems that are characterized by being more efficient and more sustainable, and capable of contributing to meeting the increasing demand for water globally.

The semi-final stage tests are scheduled to be held during the year 2026, with the teams qualifying for the final stage being announced in 2027. The final stage tests will also be held during the period from 2027 to 2028, with the winners being announced in 2028.

This competition embodies the vision of the Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative to support the development of effective technologies and innovative solutions to address the challenge of water scarcity worldwide.

In parallel with the “XPRIZE to Reduce Water Scarcity” competition, the initiative continues to support aspects of innovation through the implementation of other programmes, including the “Water for Agriculture Challenge”, which is a competition that was launched in April 2025, with the aim of developing practical technological solutions that contribute to reducing water consumption in the agricultural sector while maintaining or improving crop productivity, and with the possibility of applying these solutions in the UAE and other countries around the world facing the challenges of water scarcity.

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