Safely managed drinking water was unavailable to 2.2 billion people worldwide in 2024, as the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative chose 15 Emiratis for its first 12-month Water Pioneers Youth Program cohort.
Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Nov. 9 that the Initiative had selected the 15 participants. WAM said they will take part in workshops, sessions with experts and site visits.
The Initiative describes the program as a 12-month learning and engagement journey intended to strengthen young Emiratis' water knowledge and leadership. It says participants are encouraged to contribute to national and global efforts addressing water scarcity. The first year ends with graduation, followed by a growing alumni network intended to keep participants engaged.
Participants come from professional backgrounds in several areas. Their fields include water and environmental work, engineering, technology and finance, with others in public policy, entrepreneurship, sustainability and the arts. The Initiative's roster says Aya Almarzooqi works on smart metering and data at the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. It also lists Hoor Alkatheeri as founder of HAAY, which explores ways to produce water from air.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said the Initiative launched the program Sept. 7 and set an Oct. 7 application deadline. The Initiative's program page lists its general eligibility range as ages 18 to 35. In the launch announcement, Chief Executive Officer Ayesha Al Ateeqi called water scarcity “a strategic issue.”
The United Nations' 2025 Sustainable Development Goals report said global coverage of safely managed drinking water rose from 68% in 2015 to 74% in 2024, an increase of six percentage points. It also reported that 2.2 billion people worldwide lacked safely managed drinking water in 2024. The percentage measures coverage across the global population, while the count describes people still without the service. The program's focus on young Emirati leaders addresses one part of a challenge the data show is global.
