The Zayed Sustainability Prize has closed submissions for its 2027 award cycle and has received 10,233 entries from 177 countries. As the UAE’s pioneering award for innovative solutions to global challenges, the Zayed Sustainability Prize is one of the country’s most significant awards.
The entries received in this cycle were across its six categories of health, food, energy, water, climate action, and global high schools. Submissions increased by 32 per cent compared to the last cycle.
Now in its 18th year, the prize continues attracting a varied and growing cohort of small and medium-scale enterprises, non-profit organisations, and high schools. These entities are developing solutions to improve standards of living, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities.
This year’s submissions increasingly emphasise resilience, adaptability, and systems-level impact. In multiple regions, applicants are addressing complex global challenges through practical, community-focused solutions. These range from AI-enabled healthcare and agricultural technologies to decentralised energy and improved groundwater access.
Over two-thirds of submissions came from developing and emerging economies. Countries with heavy participation include Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Kenya, and the UAE. The USA and UK also displayed strong engagement.
The climate action category had the most submissions, with 2,505 entries. It was followed by food with 2,261, health with 1,807, global high schools with 1,710, energy with 994, and water with 956 entries.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize 2027 is now in its evaluation phase. All entries will go through an independent review and diligence process and be assessed by a selection committee of international experts. The finalists and winners will then be selected by the jury.
The winners will be announced at the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on 12 January 2027. Each organisational category winner will receive US$1 million, while six high schools will each receive U $150,000 to implement or expand on their projects. Each organisational finalist will receive US$150,000, while every high school finalist will get US$25,000.
Till date, with 139 winners, the Zayed Sustainability Prize has positively impacted over 411 million lives globally and is a leading platform for inclusive and sustainable development.
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