NEW YORK, (Pakistan Point News - 22nd Sep, 2025) The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and XPRIZE today announced the 143 Qualified Teams representing 29 countries, selected to advance to the next stage of the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition - a five-year, $119 million prize made possible by a $150 million contribution from The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative that aims to accelerate the development of more efficient, affordable and sustainable seawater desalination technologies. The announcement was made today during Climate Week in New York City.
The competition – the largest XPRIZE in history – was launched in March 2024 by The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative in partnership with XPRIZE Foundation. It represents the Initiative’s first priority project to support the development and deployment of breakthrough solutions to water scarcity, one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing humanity today.
“Desalination remains one of the most promising technologies available to address the growing challenge of water scarcity. Yet today, many desalination systems remain hampered by efficiency, cost and sustainability concerns, limiting their deployment in regions where clean water is needed most,” said Ayesha Al Ateeqi, Executive Director of The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative. “XPRIZE Water Scarcity was established to unlock the full potential of desalination by incentivizing bold, breakthrough thinking that can overcome these barriers. Our goal is to catalyze the development of next-generation systems and materials that are not only affordable and reliable, but also sustainable and accessible for communities around the world. We are proud to support this extraordinary cohort of innovators as they enter the next phase of the competition, and look forward to seeing their ideas evolve into real-world solutions with transformative impact.”
The 143 Qualified Teams advancing to the next stage of the competition were selected from more than 670 pre-registered teams from across 86 countries. Each was evaluated for the technical rigor, originality, and potential impact of their proposed solutions, which span two competition tracks:
• Track A: System-Level Innovation – 93 teams will design and demonstrate next-generation desalination systems capable of reliably producing at least 1,000 liters of potable water per day in real-world conditions.
• Track B: Novel Materials and Methods – 50 teams will advance new membranes and separation materials that improve on current reverse osmosis technologies, aiming to deliver long-term durability, reduced energy use, and environmental sustainability.
Across both tracks, Qualified Teams now enter critical stages of testing, prototyping, and validation, with milestone awards available to support development. Up to $108 million is allocated for Track A awards, and $10.9 million for Track B. The competition culminates in 2028 with a $40 million grand prize for the top-performing system, and $8 million for the most advanced separation material. Runners up will also be recognized with prizes.
Commenting on the announcement, Anousheh Ansari, chief executive officer, XPRIZE, said: “Water is humanity’s most fundamental need, and yet billions face the growing threat of water scarcity as climate change reshapes our world. Seawater desalination holds enormous promise, but current practices come with a steep price: high energy use, environmental strain, and limited accessibility. XPRIZE Water Scarcity is incentivizing innovators worldwide to design sustainable, scalable, and affordable approaches that deliver clean water without compromising the ecosystems we all depend on. Only then can desalination become a true solution for the future to benefit all.”
“The diversity and creativity of these teams give us hope for the future of water,” added Lauren Greenlee, executive vice president of food + Water + Waste, XPRIZE. “From academic labs to deep-tech startups, and cross-disciplinary consortiums - many from the world’s most water-stressed regions - these innovators are tackling desalination from every angle. Their ideas have the potential to lower costs, reduce environmental impact, and bring seawater desalination within reach for communities that need it most.”
The announcement of the Qualified Teams marks a major milestone in a competition designed not only to reward ingenuity, but to build a global ecosystem of water innovators capable of creating lasting, scalable solutions. In parallel with XPRIZE Water Scarcity, The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative has also launched its Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture, a US$2 million competition focused on improving water efficiency in agriculture – the first in a series of competitions focused on addressing aspects of water scarcity in specific sectors.
