Winners by region

Cellular connectivity has become one of the main life essentials due to its role in many critical services such as education, agriculture, healthcare, and many other sectors. Almost half of the world’s population still lack the infrastructure needed for appropriate internet access. This issue is commonly termed the "digital-divide." The majority of areas that suffer from this are rural areas, especially in developing countries. To overcome the digital-divide, expensive, energy consuming, and non-environmentally friendly infrastructure is often rolled out. The purpose of this project is to propose a software tool that can provide green and environmentally-friendly solutions that can improve the cellular connectivity in any given area. In particular, given the population density distribution, distance to the nearest urban city, and the available renewable energy solutions, the tool provides the optimal wireless infrastructure design with a minimized carbon footprint - using drones and cellular infrastructure that relies almost solely on renewable energy.

NABATIK is a platform that gives everyone the accessibility to plant trees anywhere in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The process is made possible by digitizing the local nurseries and farms in order to allow customers or businesses to reach them easily. The platform also helps the nurseries and farms with logistics in order to optimize their operation and minimize their costs.

Using our platform, we encourage businesses to engage their Corporate Social Responsibility and offer them solutions to offset their carbon footprint by rapidly planting trees using our tools. We also help businesses measure their impact (such as carbon dioxide absorption, air quality improvement and energy conservation to name a few) thereby incentivising them to plant more and gain more carbon credits.

Ploro is all about using recycled plastics to manufacture building elements that contribute to better thermal, humidity and sound insulation of homes and shelters. By using two of the most used plastic types (polypropylene and polyethylene) we managed to manufacture outdoor rooftop tiles, indoor floor tiles and hollow wall blocks that provide better insulation properties, while recycling these polymer resources. Ploro's very first released product is outdoor rooftop tiles, that have been tested by different accredited laboratories in Amman, Jordan. We have refined a specific formula using plastic additives in certain amounts to adjust the quality of our products to suit the application needed for construction - thus Ploro can take in recycled plastic from a wide variety of different sources with the outcomes always having the required quality for application. These products not only save plastic from going to landfill, the ocean and incinerators, but provide better insulation, thus saving energy and carbon emissions. They also save time, effort and money regarding the construction process - all in an environmentally friendly manner.

Innovating Green Technology (I.G.T) is presenting an innovative modular system with a photovoltaic powered UV disinfection scheme aiming to develop an integrated alternative water management plan for the MENA region. This system can be implemented in households, factories and local communities to solve wastewater issues - using solar power to transform and disinfect wastewater into water safe for irrigation. This system can treat up to 400 litres per day to serve traditional farming communities, as well as aquaponics/hydroponics oriented projects. The project will assess the technical, social, environmental, and economic feasibility of deploying specific technologies in a pilot showcase for both the private and public sectors of local communities for application internationally. The plan will also include the study of long-term effects of water and food security on human health and will serve as a model for sustainable water management and reuse in the region. The technologies to be deployed are: 1) Demo rooftop rainwater harvesting unit for domestic water supply; 2) Decentralized wastewater treatment units to treat domestic wastewater for supply of irrigation water; and an integrated composting unit for enhancement of agricultural production; 3) Irrigation network and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system for water monitoring and efficiency.

Eco Star is focused on the efficient collection of recyclable materials (paper, plastic and metal) and works hand-in-hand with recycling factories. Kuwait is very wealthy, but does not have many sustainable solutions in the field of recycling, with 90 percent of waste going directly to Kuwait’s eighteen growing landfills. Kuwait also lacks functioning green areas and has air pollution problems. In exchange for waste, Eco Star works with agricultural companies to give plants and trees to individuals and organizations, thereby encouraging the increase in green cover in Kuwait.

FabricAID reuses and recycles unwanted clothes. Clothes are graded, sorted into over 46 categories, cleaned and redistributed to disadvantaged communities at between US$0.3 – US$2 per item. Omar has succeeded in growing FabricAID from an idea into a full-blown company with more than 120 employees and several millions in turn over within 5 years.

We have a high rate of unemployment in the Arab region. One of the main problems that graduates face is lack of experience. Most companies require more than five year of experience, so we aim to help students achieve this experience before the graduation. We encourage university students to develop their own skills and integrate them as a productive group in the community. Our Cerati initiative is a mobile app and website that provides college students and graduates with access to part time jobs and tasks, providing a linkage between college students and employers. Through our Cerati platform, our goal is to narrow the gap between the green labour market and the students and encourage them to obtain part-time job opportunities. We match and develop students’ skills and experiences with ideal and available job vacancies. We provide information about various training opportunities, workshops, internships, competitions, events, exhibitions and inspiration. Our aim is to integrate university students with the external labour market and develop their skills to earn supporting income.

Our environment is threatened by plastic pollution and climate change. We all have a role to play to protect our only home and today it mainly depends on youth. We need youth use less plastic, increasing green areas, care about wildlife, care about oceans and embrace waste to wealth. We believe that integrated waste management is crucial and work with schools, universities and communities to sort waste and deliver the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. We believe working with a new generation can beat plastic pollution and the 8 million tons of plastic that end up in our oceans each year. Patriotic Vision is an non-government organization with special consultative status at the United Nations, seeking to promote social civilization, and raise the well-being of the individuals and societies, working on peace building and saving human rights. Patriotic Vision desires that every youth has an opportunity to live a full life. It aims at contributing to the United Nations goals of Youth 2030 which is to contribute to communities. It also seeks to empower youth to be agents of change.

Living on the peninsula of Qatar, the effect of plastic on marine life is magnified. Our single-use plastic is a serial killer for marine life, as it takes thousands of years to disintegrate. Our zero-waste, bulk grocery store will address the core of the plastic problem and provide a convenient solution for the public. This shop will be the first of its kind in the Middle East to directly address the issue of plastic waste and provide convenient, affordable alternatives to everyone, whilst bringing the community together. Currently, people who try to shop low-waste and plastic-free have to visit four or five different stores. We aim to address these issues by offering an all-in-one grocery shop that sells items in bulk, thereby offering more affordable and sustainable options. Through a community space for workshops, we will start a ripple effect and reach more people. We work with our sister-enterprise Green Mangroves, which seeks to actively engage the community through kayaking trips and clean-up activities, exploring pristine and vulnerable habitats while bridging the gap between daily life actions and what we need to protect. We also aim to work with school awareness programs to raise awareness of plastic pollution.

Lebanon is in the midst of an acute ongoing environmental crisis. Yet dangerous chemicals and hazardous substances contained in house-care products, dish and laundry soaps, multi-purpose cleaners, shampoo, deodorant, face-wash, makeup remover, face and hand creams - are not being carefully disposed of, due to lack of proper wastewater treatment. SAVVY ELEMENT aims to primarily design safe and green chemical solutions while reducing the use of harsh substances that contribute to greenhouse emissions and hazardous waste. Our active ingredients and materials are native to their country of origin, extracted and produced using eco-friendly, low-energy and low-water intensive techniques. Our model supports local farmers and fair-trade businesses, ultimately creating jobs. Our products are hazard free, limiting the instances of skin allergies and respiratory problems and lastly, we create workshops and open events to raise awareness about sustainability and safe consumption of eco-friendly cosmetics, cleaning agents and basic aid products including preventative immunity-boosters, and pain relievers. Today, SAVVY ELEMENT’s products are being sold at a weekly eco-market and we have received requests from eco- stores to sell our products. 

The “Protection of Water Dams in Jordan” project aims to protect the environment by increasing vegetation coverage in the catchment areas of two dams that supply Amman (the capital of Jordan) and Al-Karak with water. Both the Wadi Almujab and Wadi Al-Karak dams are facing increased accumulation of sand and other sediments. This has diminished their storage capacities, threatening vital supplies of water to agriculture. Without the dam water, farmers will be forced to tap precious limited groundwater resources – an unsustainable scenario. This project will seek to raise the dams’ water levels through non-traditional methods. Jordanians and Syrian refugees will be employed for a total of 75,000 working days to increase vegetation coverage in the catchment areas. The project will thus create new job opportunities, enhance social inclusion and foster a sense of shared responsibility for the maintenance of the dams and their catchment areas. Moreover, it will improve the efficiency of the aforementioned dams.

The waste crisis is a serious threat to environmental, animal and human life around the world. Therefore, I have been working for five years on waste sorting from the source and implemented many campaigns to clean the seas and nature. The process of sorting waste from the source is the responsibility of the individual in the community. It is a sound start to solve the problem of waste accumulation in the environment and depends mainly on the consciousness of the emerging generations, especially schoolchildren. I propose integrated waste management as a means to delivering the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable developments. Waste sorting is essential. Every country must embrace waste as a source of wealth. Remember “a healthy environment means healthy people”.

Humanity is in a critical situation. Our society is failing to recognize the indispensable role of nature in supporting our health and wellbeing. Nature underpins our civilization. Many developing countries are ravaged by war and conflict. They face huge challenges in meeting the immediate needs of soaring populations, including increasing numbers of displaced people. Rising demand is placing severe pressures on natural resources such as freshwater. These problems, exacerbated by climate change, have distracted people and their governments from the essential task of conserving nature. Through “A Guide for an Ideal Nature”, I intend to promote environmental awareness in my community and share tips and instructions for caring for the environment. Additionally, I will collaborate with women to conceptualize and implement a number of projects aimed at implementing the guide.

Women in Energy and Environment (WEE) is a forward-looking organization focusing on women in the Middle East and North Africa. WEE is a member-driven organization in which diversity, innovation and creativity are valued and the members are the key resources. WEE is dedicated to supporting women in their current roles and building a supportive community for them. WEE seeks to advance the role of women in the MENA region in leading the green industry while demonstrating the positive environmental, social and economic impacts of women.

My big idea is to produce organic agricultural products as part of a broader sustainable development strategy. I will develop and implement a number of practical measures to promote environmentally friendly agricultural production that supports human health and conserves natural resources. Specifically, I will develop clean and safe agricultural inputs such as organic fertilizers and herbicides which can compete with and displace the toxic chemicals which are currently in use across Yemen. Simultaneously, I will engage farmers, land owners and other stakeholders to promote environmental awareness and responsibility. I hope that my project will avert further pollution of the environment whilst generating economic opportunities and bossting human health.

To introduce the fermentation food waste recycling process to municipalities and communities, aiming to reduce the amount of organic waste dumped in landfills. Demonstration of concept will be made available for interested parties to visit and see the whole treatment process. They can experience first-hand how easy food waste management is, and how it can be applied in their local communities. Fermentation composting is a two-step process. Organic waste is initially fermented in a closed bin for two weeks and then laid in the ground for it to breakdown. The fermentation process in bins is the added value of the process. There is no need to pick up the organic waste daily from mass producers as it can be done once a week. When food waste is fermented, the system rapidly acidifies. Methane won’t be produced as it can only be produced at a neutral PH. If there is no methane production, then there is no odour.

My idea of producing biodiesel stems from the pressing need to protect the environment from used cooking oil that is improperly disposed of and the excessive use of fossil diesel fuel, which is very harmful to the environment. There is also a need to provide employment opportunities for youths. The aim is to transform the project into an environmental investment that serves both the community and the environment. I have set up a modest, local factory with US$5,000 of funding from the United Nations Development Programme plus $1,000 of my own money. The factory was set up in compliance with international specifications and I successfully produced a 1,000-litre test batch. I hired five employees and sold the test batch, which won consumer approval. Unfortunately, the project could not be sustained due to a lack of funding. I have also set up a small biodiesel lab that yielded excellent results.

Palestine, and the Arab World in general, faces problems with pollution resulting from improper disposal of industrial wastewater. As an environmental engineer, Nareman has worked for two consecutive years researching industrial wastewater. She designed a device that works on the principle of physical adsorption to eliminate pollutants from industrial wastewater rendering the water reusable in the same industry. Tanneries are currently using this method to remove carcinogenic chrome from water with a 99% efficiency rate. The SwitchMed Programme provided support to construct the initial model, but Nareman has higher aspirations to make this device available to all tanneries in Palestine and to expand its use to include the galvanization and dairy industries as well as the production of vehicle lubricants. These industries all use large quantities of water and dump zinc, organic substances, cleaning agents, oils and lubricants into the environment. This solution is part of a national sustainability plan to find ways of supporting industry, protecting the environment, and mitigating water shortages.

BioTreasure aims to improve the livelihoods of at least 1500 rural households in Yemen through the deployment of small-scale biogas plants. The devices are constructed locally. The devices are designed to enable the rapid decomposition of organic waste, maximizing the amount of biogas produced. The project will help to solve three major problems in Yemen: (i) household organic waste, which emits significant amounts of methane gas and is a major contributor to climate change; and (ii) indoor air pollution which causes many people to die each year – in Yemen, over 3 million people still cook over open fires. Additionally, the project will (iii) help to reduce the incidence of certain diseases known to be spread or exacerbated by the dumping of organic waste, such as cholera which has affected nearly half a million Yemenis in 2017 alone.