Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi has announced that 1,398 university students, organised into 238 teams from 56 countries, have signed up for the Global Water Hackathon 2026, a competition run with UNESCO to find new solutions to water challenges.
The teams will work across six areas, ranging from desalination and water reuse to water quality, public health, digital systems and climate resilience. Over the coming months they will be supported by academic advisers, technical specialists and industry mentors to turn ideas into solid proposals.
Alongside the UAE, with 266 participants, there are students from Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, the United States, Germany, France and many other countries. The competition runs from 7 September to 10 December.
Finalists will present their projects in Abu Dhabi during the 2026 UN Water Conference, scheduled for 8 to 10 December, where the awards will be presented. The aim is for young people’s best ideas to be assessed and, perhaps, put into practice.
