The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative recently announced the qualifying teams advancing to the next stage of Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture, the first in a series of competitions launched under its Al Miyah Challenge program. Selected from a competitive pool of hundreds of international applicants spanning 54 countries, the 21 qualifying teams have proposed promising innovations aimed at reducing water consumption in agriculture while maintaining or increasing crop yields, a critical priority for water-scarce regions.
The qualifying teams form a truly global and diverse cohort, representing 13 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. They include startups, established enterprises and research groups, all dedicated to addressing water-related challenges in agriculture. Their approaches span the innovation spectrum, from precision irrigation, greenhouse automation, and AI-driven analytics to biodegradable water-retention materials, microbial enhancers, atmospheric water generation, wastewater reuse, plant biosensors, and water storage infrastructure. Together, these teams’ innovations reflect ingenuity and a commitment to producing more with less water.
This announcement marks the first major milestone of the Challenge, following the registration deadline announced on 30 June 2025. The qualifying teams will now advance to the next stage: pitching their proposed solutions to an esteemed panel of judges starting this month.
Following the pitches and site visits both in the UAE and internationally, a select group of finalists will be invited to move forward with piloting their technologies for indoor and outdoor farming solutions in the UAE from November 2025.
The next stage of the competition will involve finalists being announced in January 2026 and the winning team and runners up announced in December 2026. The competition is designed to support real-world testing of novel approaches including smart irrigation, precision agriculture, greenhouse cooling, and circular water use systems.
Launched in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), ASPIRE, the innovation acceleration arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), and Silal Food and Technology, Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture is offering a prize purse of AED 8 million. It is seeking to identify solutions ready for field application in the UAE and with potential for scalability in other arid and water-scarce regions.
The breadth of participation from around the world underscores the importance of global and cross-sector collaboration to accelerate solutions at the intersection of water and agriculture. From entrepreneurs in emerging markets to young deep-tech companies and established agribusiness leaders, the Challenge has brought together a truly international and varied group of problem-solvers dedicated to driving forward scalable solutions to reduce and improve water usage in agriculture.
“We are delighted to see such strong international interest and innovative breakthrough technologies coming forward in response to Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture,” said Ayesha Al Ateeqi, Executive Director of The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative. “Water use in agriculture remains one of the greatest areas of opportunity to move the needle on global water scarcity, especially in water-scarce regions. The ingenuity demonstrated by these teams reflects the kind of bold, scalable thinking that is essential to tackle this urgent challenge while supporting and empowering the agricultural sector that we all rely upon. We look forward to seeing how these technologies perform and evolve through the Challenge process”.
H.E. Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, Deputy Director General for Regulatory and Administrative Affairs at ADAFSA, stated: “The qualification of innovative teams is a significant step towards developing practical solutions for water scarcity. “This is a crucial move to achieve the goals of this initiative. ADAFSA will utilise its research stations and experimental centres to simulate climatic and agricultural conditions, and to test the viability of these innovative solutions.” She added that “ADAFSA is proud to be part of this ambitious scientific endeavour, noting that the collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative aligns with the UAE’s strategic objectives to enhance food security and strengthen its global position as a hub for innovation and sustainability.”
H.E. Dhafer AlQasimi, Group CEO of Silal, added: “Water scarcity is a critical challenge for agriculture in the UAE and in many countries around the world, and tackling it requires innovation and collaboration. Through our partnership with The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative’s Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture, we seek practical, smart solutions to improve water efficiency, greenhouse cooling, and circular water use. By testing and applying these solutions, we can protect our water resources, empower and support farmers with sustainable practices, and strengthen the UAE’s food security now and in the future.”
Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, said: “At ASPIRE, we believe innovation must be proven in the real world, not just imagined in a lab. Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture reflects our mission to convert bold ideas into scalable technologies that can operate in complex, high-stakes environment. By piloting solutions in the UAE with a clear focus on global relevance, we are helping advance sustainable water use in agriculture and laying the groundwork for solutions that can scale where they are needed most”.
To view the full list of qualifying teams and for more information about Al Miyah Challenge for Agriculture, please visit: www.mohamedbinzayedwi.ae/al-miyah-challenge-for-agriculture
