British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, is among the high-profile names confirmed as members of the jury for the Zayed Sustainability Prize on Tuesday.
Other names include Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment, Mariam Almheiri, Head of the INternational Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, Dr Nawal Al Hosany, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, former president of Iceland, Dr Andreas Jacobs, chairman of Insead, Wang Chuanfu, chairman and chief executive of BYD, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, president of the Indigenous Women and Peoples Association of Chad, and Christian Bruch, president and chief executive of Siemens Energy.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize, now in its 17th year, received 7,761 entries from 173 countries for its 2026 awards event, vying for recognition in its six categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools.
Delivering sustainable solutions
The surge in applications marked a 30 per cent increase on the previous awards cycle, with a notable increase in technology-focused projects such as AI and FinTech tools.
“The record number of submissions to this year’s prize cycle reflects a growing global commitment to practical, scalable solutions that deliver long-term impact," said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and director general of the Zayed Sustainability Prize.
"Across all categories, the increased use of AI and other advanced technologies highlights how innovation is being harnessed to drive inclusive, community-led progress."
The prize, which honours the legacy of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, empowers small to medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organisations and high schools to deliver high-impact, sustainable solutions.
Analysis of the 2026 cycle has shown 85 per cent of submissions came from developing or emerging economies, with India, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Brazil and Indonesia among the top contributing nations.
Winners will be announced at the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on January 13, 2026, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Each of the five category winners will receive $1 million, while high schools – representing the world’s regions – will be awarded $150,000 each to implement or expand their sustainability projects.
