Khalifa University-UNESCO water hackathon draws 1,398 students from 56 countries

Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi announced on September 24, 2026, that 1,398 university students in 238 teams from 56 countries had registered for the Khalifa University-UNESCO Global Water Hackathon 2026.

The competition is led by the university's Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology and runs from September 7 to December 10, 2026. Selected teams now move into a phase of developing, testing and refining their proposals with support from academic advisers, technical specialists and industry mentors. Teams work on six challenge areas aligned with the UN Water Pillars, covering topics such as desalination, water reuse, digital and AI-enabled systems, water quality, climate resilience and governance. The United Arab Emirates accounts for 266 students in 70 teams. Other large groups come from Saudi Arabia (124 students), India (91), Pakistan (86) and Egypt (48).

Finalists will be invited to Abu Dhabi to pitch their projects and attend an awards ceremony during the 2026 UN Water Conference, which the UAE and Senegal are co-hosting from December 8 to 10. Prizes include the Khalifa University-UNESCO Water Innovation Award, six theme awards and three strategic recognition awards. The university said the hackathon forms part of its wider water-related work ahead of the conference, alongside its Youth4Water initiative and a UNESCO chair on water resilience.