The Zayed Sustainability Prize is the UAE’s pioneering global award for sustainability, established in 2008 to honour the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It recognises small and medium enterprises (SMEs), non-profit organisations, and high schools whose solutions deliver proven, scalable impact across six categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools.
Since inception it has supported 128 winners whose work has reached more than 400 million people. Winners are announced each January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Benefits & funding
- Total prize fund of US$7.2 million for the 2027 cycle.
- Winners in each of the five organisation categories (Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action): US$1,000,000 each.
- Global High Schools: one winning school per world region receives US$150,000 — six regions: the Americas; Sub-Saharan Africa; Middle East & North Africa; Europe & Central Asia; South Asia; East Asia & Pacific.
- Finalists are also funded: US$100,000 for each organisation finalist, and US$25,000 for each finalist school (12 schools).
- Global recognition and visibility through the awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
Eligibility
- Open to applicants worldwide; no nationality or country restriction.
- Five organisation categories: applicant must be a registered small or medium enterprise (SME) or non-profit organisation (NPO) whose solution is already delivering impact on the ground.
- Global High Schools category: secondary schools worldwide (students roughly aged 11–19), with student-led projects supported by school management.
- Solutions are judged on three criteria — Impact, Innovation, and Inspiration — and must show a clear long-term plan to deploy and scale.
- Early-stage start-ups, prototypes, demonstration projects, and solutions with no demonstrated impact are not eligible.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
Appears to have an age limit “aged 11”
confirm in the requirements
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Application process
- 1Register on the official Prize entry portal.
- 2Select your category and complete the online submission form.
- 3Submit before the annual deadline; entries are assessed by a Selection Committee and a Jury.
Program timeline
January 2026
Submissions open (2027 cycle)
Submissions close
15 June 2026
Shortlist announced
August 2026
Finalists announced
September 2026
Winners announced at the awards ceremony, Abu Dhabi
January 2027