UAE Awards $5.9M to 11 Sustainability Game-Changers

A toy that detects developmental delays, a brick that withstands earthquakes, and packaging made from food waste just earned $5.9 million in recognition for transforming how the world tackles its biggest challenges.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize announced its 2026 winners this week during a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, celebrating 18 years of backing innovations that work in the real world. This year's 11 winners from the UAE, Brazil, Canada, Nepal, Switzerland, Uganda and beyond beat out a record 7,761 submissions from 173 countries.

The winners aren't just promising ideas. They're already delivering results at scale.

Jade, a UAE company, turned neurodevelopmental screening into a game that kids actually want to play. Its AI-powered platform combines cognitive tests with eye-tracking technology, cutting diagnostic wait times while keeping children engaged. The tool now operates in over 450 institutions across 179 countries and has already helped more than 180,000 children get the early intervention they need.

In Nepal, Build up Nepal is reinventing how communities rebuild after disaster. The nonprofit has produced over 3.3 million earthquake-resistant eco-bricks and helped construct more than 12,000 homes that can withstand the tremors that regularly shake the region. The work has created nearly 2,000 green jobs while keeping families safe.

Brazil's Stattus4 is saving enough water daily to fill over 2,200 Olympic swimming pools. Its AI and sensor technology helps utilities spot and fix leaks with precision, monitoring more than 5,000 kilometers of pipes and strengthening water security for over four million people.

Switzerland's BASE Foundation cracked the code on sustainable cooling by removing the biggest barrier: upfront cost. Its Cooling-as-a-Service model operates in 68 countries, has created 2,500 jobs, and prevents 81,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually by making efficient cooling both affordable and accessible.

Singapore's N&E Innovations tackled food waste at both ends of the problem. The company creates antimicrobial packaging from upcycled food scraps that extends shelf life by killing 99.9% of bacteria. More than 400,000 of these compostable packs have already reached consumers, keeping food fresh longer while breaking down naturally after use.

The Ripple Effect

Since launching in 2008, the Prize has supported 128 winners whose work has reached over 411 million people worldwide. That's more than the entire population of the United States.

The solutions winning today share something important: they're designed for the places they serve. They work with local materials, adapt to community needs, and create jobs where they operate. They prove that the best innovations don't just parachute in with solutions, they grow from understanding real challenges on the ground.

These eleven teams just showed the world what practical hope looks like when it scales.