10:43 am - October 15, 2026
The Zayed Sustainability Prize finalists for 2027 emerged from a record 10,233 entries across 177 countries, with every finalist guaranteed funding and winners due at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
The Abu Dhabi-run Zayed Sustainability Prize has named its 2027 finalists after receiving a record 10,233 entries from 177 countries. Entries rose 32% on the previous cycle, up from the record 7,761 entries of the 2026 round. The prize calls it the most competitive cycle in its history.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize finalists span health, food, energy, water, climate action and global high schools. Their projects include AI that predicts pregnancy complications months in advance, robots that inspect water pipes and heat-resilient corals that rebuild reefs.
Winners will be announced on 12 January at the awards ceremony during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Every finalist receives funding. Organisational finalists in health, food, energy, water and climate action get $100,000 (Dh367,250) each, and global high school finalists get $25,000 each.
Category winners then receive $1 million in the organisational categories and $150,000 in Global High Schools. That structure extends the prize’s support beyond a single winner.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and director general of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said: “The finalists’ work demonstrates that the most powerful solutions are those rooted in real-world needs, breaking down barriers and delivering meaningful, measurable impact.”
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, chairman of the prize jury, said: “Their work shows that meaningful progress is built not only through technology, but through determination, local knowledge and the capacity of communities to adapt and thrive.”
Now in its 18th year, the prize draws small and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organisations and high schools. It says its work has had a positive impact on more than 411 million lives worldwide. The energy, water and climate action finalists give UAE investors and policymakers an early look at technologies competing for scale.
