The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative is dedicated to addressing global water scarcity by enabling the development and application of breakthrough technologies, raising the importance of water scarcity on the international agenda, and deploying needed water solutions to benefit people and communities around the world.

Existing solutions to water scarcity will not be enough to prevent a range of unacceptable scenarios from occurring. New and innovative solutions are urgently needed.

By leveraging the UAE’s infrastructure and expertise to incubate and test the most promising water technologies, the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative aims to accelerate the development of new solutions to be scaled and deployed for the world. In the longer term, it seeks to combine these solutions with an empowered water-aware generation and an engaged global community, to help create a world in which water is accessible, affordable and sustainable for all.

Together with its partners, the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative is committed to:

Accelerating innovation, including facilitating the development, testing and deployment-at-scale of transformative technological solutions to water scarcity.

Raising awareness through global outreach, including facilitating international dialogue and multistakeholder collaboration to address this urgent threat to humanity.

Empowering action, including providing support to water-stressed communities around the world through the targeted deployment of available water solutions and technologies.

Vision & Mission

Vision:

Accessible, affordable and

sustainable water for all.

Mission:

Promoting sustainable global accessibility to water by supporting the development and application of breakthrough technologies and by raising awareness of water scarcity and elevating its prioritization on the global agenda.

Why Water Scarcity?

Water scarcity is an urgent threat to global security and prosperity that demands a decisive and coordinated response from the international community.

If we do not act, increasing water scarcity could lead to devastating consequences, including

Loss of life

Humanitarian crises

Food insecurity

Mass migration

Geopolitical instability

This is a global issue. No individual, business or country will be immune from the direct and indirect effects of increasing water scarcity.

Up to

4 billion people

worldwide

currently experience water scarcity at least one month per year.

Water Scarcity and the UAE

The UAE has always been highly vigilant to the threat of water scarcity. Concerned by the speed at which water scarcity has been spreading around the world, the UAE has embarked on a multifaceted effort to help address this threat:

In September 2023, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a discussion paper on water scarcity which called for a more decisive and coordinated international response to this issue.

In December 2023, the UAE announced pledge of $150m in new funding to address water scarcity during COP28.

In February 2024, the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative (MBZWI) was launched in Abu Dhabi.

In March 2024, the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative unveiled its first priority project – a landmark partnership with the XPRIZE Foundation to launch XPRIZE Water Scarcity, a five-year $119 million prize made possible by a $150 million investment by the MBZWI.

This is only the beginning of a much wider effort.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative stands ready to partner with governments, private sector companies, entrepreneurs, youth, NGOs, universities and research institutions, to address the threat of water scarcity for the benefit of current and future generations.

Our country’s history has been defined by the scarcity of water. The future of the world must not be.

XPRIZE Water Scarcity

XPRIZE Water Scarcity is a five-year, $119 million prize made possible by a $150 million investment by the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative.

Launched in March 2023, the competition is designed to drive widespread access to clean water by creating more reliable, sustainable, and affordable seawater desalination systems.

Improved methods of seawater desalination technology could allow us to access more than 96% of Earth’s water resources year-round, creating a world where clean water is equitably and sustainably abundant, enabling people and the environment to prosper.

The XPRIZE Water Scarcity global competition is still open for registration.

Click here to learn more