A joint submission by Professor Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua, who leads the Research Centre on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilisation at Sunway University’s School of Engineering & Technology, and Professor Mohamed Azlan Hussain from the University of Malaya, has won the prestigious Innovative R&D Award (International Institutions Award) at the third Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award.
Their contribution involves introducing a smart auto-backwash ultrafiltration system that can treat different types of water sources without using chemicals at a rate of 500 to 700 litres per hour. This marks a tremendous impact by offering a sustainable solution to one of the world’s biggest challenges: making clean water accessible for all, as highlighted by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.
The award, supervised by the UAE Water Aid Foundation, also known as Suqia UAE, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives foundation, encourages researchers, innovators, and thought leaders worldwide to develop new technologies that address the challenge of water scarcity using renewable energy.