Dubai’s Emirates Energy Award opens its 2026–2028 cycle

Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy launched the 2026–2028 cycle of the Emirates Energy Award on 22 October. According to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the sixth cycle is being held under the theme “Innovating for Sustainable and Resilient Energy” and carries a total prize value of US$1 million. The announcement was made during the 12th World Green Economy Summit at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The award has ten categories: energy efficiency in the public sector and private sector; large and small energy projects; circular economy; large and small distributed solar projects; education and capacity building; research and development; and young energy professionals. The solar categories use a 500-kilowatt threshold: projects of 500 kW or more fall in the large category, while those below 500 kW fall in the small category.

DEWA said the programme is intended to recognise practical solutions in energy generation and management, storage, efficiency and resource use. Ahmed Butti Al Muhairbi, secretary-general of the council, described the new cycle as a platform for turning innovation into measurable impact in the energy sector. The announcement does not detail the jury’s scoring weights or the application timetable.

The council said 151 winners had been recognised across the five previous cycles: 118 in the first four cycles and 33 in the fifth. The new cycle is presented as an international platform for public institutions, companies, academic organisations and individual innovators. The release does not quantify outcomes such as energy saved or projects implemented by past winners.

The award is divided into 10 categories and spans individuals, organisations and projects, according to DEWA. Its categories cover energy efficiency, renewable energy, research and development, education, young professionals and large-scale projects, among other areas. The award’s total prize pool is $1 million. DEWA said 151 winners had been recognised in prior cycles, a cumulative history that does not indicate how many applicants will enter this edition or how many projects will be funded.

The award announcement sits within Dubai’s broader effort to promote energy efficiency and clean-energy investment, but it is a recognition and grant programme rather than a procurement contract. Applicants are assessed in category-specific tracks, so the total prize amount should not be read as a uniform award per winner. The public announcement described the cycle and prior awards but did not provide a full applicant count, selection rate or expected emissions reduction. Those missing measures limit comparisons of this round’s reach with earlier editions.