UAE Awards 10 Sites with 2023 Zayed Sustainability Prize... Yoon Attends

Total Prize Money of $3 Million for Healthcare, Food, Energy, Water Resources, and High Schools

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) held the '2023 Zayed Sustainability Prize' award ceremony attended by President Yoon Suk-yeol and senior UAE officials, awarding 10 companies and organizations.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize was established to honor the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the UAE. Since 2008, it has been a global sustainability award targeting small and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organizations, and high schools worldwide that provide innovation, inspiration, and impact in the fields of ▲healthcare ▲food ▲energy ▲water resources. Marking its 15th anniversary this year, a record 4,538 candidates applied, and the companies and organizations with the highest level of achievements were finally selected.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE (center in the back row), attending the 2023 Zayed Sustainability Prize award ceremony.
[Photo by Zayed Sustainability Prize Secretariat]

The total prize money for the Zayed Sustainability Prize is USD 3 million (approximately KRW 3.7 billion), with USD 600,000 awarded to winners in each category. In the global high school category, six high schools from six regions worldwide are selected, each receiving up to USD 100,000. To date, 96 winners have been produced, and it is evaluated that positive changes have been brought to the lives of approximately 378 million people in about 150 countries.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, congratulated the winners and said, "The UAE is striving to create a better future for all," adding, "The Zayed Sustainability Prize plays an important role in providing humanitarian aid and solutions that transform the lives of communities worldwide."

In the healthcare category, Brazil's Associa??o Expedicion?rios da Sa?de (EDS) was selected as a winner for its efforts to provide a mobile hospital complex offering specialized medical and surgical care to geographically isolated indigenous communities in the Amazon.

In the food category, the French food tech startup Ynsect, which succeeded in innovation using insect-based protein and natural fertilizers, won the award. In the energy category, NeuroTech, based in Jordan, was recognized for developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm with a blockchain-based transaction system to provide stable energy to refugee camps and was included in the list of winners.

In the water resources category, the Bangladeshi non-profit organization LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society) was awarded for its integrated water resource management model that addresses water scarcity in disaster-prone areas, providing safe drinking water to communities and enabling access to smart ecosystems.

In the global high school category, 46 high schools worldwide have received awards to date. This year, the winners were Fundaci?n Bios Terrae-ICAM Ubate from Colombia, Romain-Rolland-Gymnasium from Germany, the Gifted School (GSS) from Iraq, UWC East Africa-Arusha Campus from Tanzania, Dhaka Residential Model College from Bangladesh, and Kamil Muslim College from Fiji.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.