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This year’s edition witnessed strong participation, with 186 projects submitted across the Award’s various categories, including 93 school projects, 75 university projects, and 18 institutional projects. A total of 370 students from across the UAE took part, reflecting growing environmental awareness and increasing engagement in sustainable projects and environmental innovation.
Aisha Rashid Deemas, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, affirmed that since its launch, the Sharjah Sustainability Award has continued to play a pioneering role in promoting a culture of sustainability and encouraging different segments of society to develop practical solutions to environmental challenges, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to position Sharjah as a leading model in environmental protection and natural resource conservation.
She said: “The Sharjah Sustainability Award represents a comprehensive national platform for raising environmental awareness and empowering future generations to transform their innovative ideas into practical projects with tangible impact. This was clearly reflected in this year’s participating projects, which demonstrated advanced levels of innovation, scientific research, and the use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence to address sustainability challenges. The diversity of ideas and the quality of outcomes we have witnessed today reaffirm the Award’s success in embedding sustainability as a way of thinking and a daily practice that contributes to building a more prosperous and sustainable future for generations to come.”
She added: “We are proud of the remarkable participation recorded in the 14th edition and the genuine commitment demonstrated by students, researchers, and institutions towards environmental issues. We also highly value the efforts of our partner entities and judging panel members whose expertise ensured the highest standards of transparency and professionalism throughout the evaluation process.”
The judging panel praised the high calibre of projects submitted this year, noting that the innovative and practical solutions presented reflect the growing culture of sustainability and scientific research among younger generations and their ability to leverage knowledge and technology to address environmental challenges creatively.
The panel further highlighted that many of the projects possess strong potential for future development and expansion, enhancing their contribution to sustainable development efforts and supporting the UAE’s environmental and green economy objectives.
In the Environmental Innovation for Institutional Sustainability category, the Sharjah Housing Department won first place for its “Green Concrete” project. The Initiatives Implementation Authority – Mubadara secured second place for its “Bridges and Al Layyah Water Canal” project, while the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority placed third for its “Sustainable Transportation for Operating Electric Vehicles and Buses within the Green Transport Fleet” project.
In the Sustainability Scientific Research category for postgraduate students, Asmaa Samir Al Humaida from United Arab Emirates University won first place for her project, “Sustainable Microencapsulation Using Omani Frankincense Gum for Controlled Protein Delivery,” supervised by Dr. Bassem Abu Jdayil. Asmaa Zayed Abdullah Al Menhali from Khalifa University won second place for her project, “A Highly Sensitive Portable Device for Detecting Organophosphorus Pesticides in Water and Food Samples,” supervised by Dr. Shaimaa Eissa.
In the Sustainability Scientific Research category for undergraduate students, a team from Khalifa University won first place for their project, “Desert Oasis Tree: A Solar-Powered Water Harvesting and Environmental Monitoring System,” while a team from the University of Sharjah secured second place for “Assessment of Indoor Environmental Quality Using Autonomous Robots and Sensor Arrays.”
In the Environmental Resource Conservation and Protection category, Israa Falah Al Khafaf from the American University of Sharjah won first place for her project, “Decision Support Tool for Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Desert Urban Vegetation,” while a team from UAE University secured second place for their AI-powered “Pollinator Pathways” project.
In the Sustainable Design and Construction category, a team from the University of Sharjah won first place for a project that uses AI forecasting and indigenous microbes to stabilise sand near solar energy farms. Fatima Al Zahraa Hosni Hassan from the University of Sharjah secured second place for her project on an eco-efficiency framework for sustainable construction and 3D concrete printing.
In the Artificial Intelligence Applications in Sustainability category, a team from Abu Dhabi University won first place for their machine learning-based predictive maintenance project, while a team from Khalifa University won second place for their “Computer Vision Tools for Monitoring and Analysing Gas Flares” project.
In the Future Energy and Emissions category, Sarada Vani Kondamudi from UAE University won first place for her project on a solar-integrated wireless charging system for electric vehicles. A UAE University team secured second place for a project that converts methane emissions into clean hydrogen using catalysts derived from desert sand and biomass waste.
In the Best Environmental AI Project category, a team from Zayed Educational Complex – Dibba Al Fujairah won first place for “Solar Watering,” while Al Ahliyah Charity School – Al Azra Branch secured second place for “Sharjah Sustainable Development Goals Mission,” and Amity Private School won third place for “Aquacon: A Sustainable Smart Fishing System.”
In the Sustainable Environmental Project category, Applied Technology Schools in Umm Al Quwain won first place for “The Greenhouse,” while International School of Choueifat – Sharjah secured second place for “Sustainable Electric Mobility through the Re-engineering and Construction of an EVGP Electric Vehicle.”
In the Energy and Water Conservation category, teacher Asmaa Mohammed Ammar from Al Basair Private School – Sharjah won the Distinguished Teacher Award. In the “Innovate for a Sustainable Green Future” category, a team from Dubai National School – Al Barsha won for its “Date Palm Protection” project focused on the smart management of date palm diseases.
In the Arabic Creative Graphic Story Writing category, student Saud Birbakhsh Mousa from Sharjah Model Secondary School won first place. In the English Creative Graphic Story Writing category, Mariam Radwan from Gulf Asian English School won first place, while Abeer Zeeshan from Pamir Private School secured second place.
In the Short Advertisement category, Vishal Anil Kumar from GEMS Our Own Indian School – Dubai won first place, while Salem Ali Al Ghafri from Zayed City Schools for Boys – Abu Dhabi secured second place. In the Green School category, Pakistan Islamia Higher Secondary School – Sharjah won the Outstanding School Award.
The EPAA honored the Ministry of Education, Sharjah Private Education Authority, Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority, Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Sharjah Municipality, Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, University of Sharjah, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates University, Khalifa University, Horizon College, Higher Colleges of Technology – Sharjah, Emirates Publishers Association, Institute of Applied Technology, and Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators.
The EPAA also honored the 19 members of the judging panel, comprising academics, experts, and specialists from participating government and academic institutions.
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