Opportunities

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Fourth annual edition in 2026, with teams of 1-5 competing across Decarbonisation & Sustainability, Clean Energy Integration & Storage, and AI & Digitalisation tracks; the 2026 registration window closed 3 May 2026.

Open to local and international companies as well as mature senior student project teams of one to five members; no other age or nationality restriction is stated on the registration page.

UAE-based · Students

Fifth edition launched July 2026 and its registration is now closed; the programme has run periodically for five editions, though the page does not state the interval to the next cycle.

Emirati nationals aged 20-24 who hold, or are pursuing, an undergraduate engineering or science degree at an accredited academic institution.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

The 2026 summit runs 18-21 November 2026 in Dubai with 100 selected university teams; applications for that edition closed 3 August 2026 and the call reopens annually.

Free to enter, open to current undergraduate and postgraduate students plus graduates of the past two years at any university in any country, applying alone or in a team of any size for a share of a $100,000 awards fund.

UAE-based · Early-career

Runs as a biennial regional award established in 2012; the next cycle's submission window is not posted on the official page.

Recognises an individual working in energy management for outstanding contributions to sustainable energy; one of ten categories in a biennial regional award that also covers research, education and student-led projects.

UAE-based · Students

Placements follow the school and university breaks: the Plant Genetic Resource Center in Al Ain over summer, Mangrove Beach in Umm Al Quwain over the winter break, and Wadi Wurayah in Fujairah in March.

Work experience placements at UAE conservation sites for older students, giving exposure to conservation science and environmental management; you apply by email to the programme team rather than through a form.

International, open to UAE · Early-career

Applications for the 2026 cohort of Future Energy Leaders are closed; the next call for applications opens in 2027.

For energy professionals 35 or under with 3-5 years of junior management experience, nominated and validated by their employer; open worldwide, including to UAE-based professionals.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Deadline: 30 Nov 2026

Open to university students and young professionals aged 19-35 seeking structured sustainability mentorship and training over a 12-month cycle; the programme page states no nationality or location restriction.

International, open to UAE · Students

Annual international competition; the 2026 cycle ran applications from 1 March through finals held 7-11 June 2026, and the site already lists a 2027 edition, confirming the yearly cycle.

Open worldwide to high-school students in grades 8-12 (under-18 entrants need a chaperone); projects across its science, engineering, robotics and other tracks must address an environmental issue, which includes renewable-energy and sustainability topics.

UAE-based · Students

The 2026 edition: applications closed 16 July 2026, finalists were announced 25 July 2026, and the Pitch Day and Awards Ceremony ran 14 August 2026 in Abu Dhabi; no future edition date is given.

Open to undergraduate students across the Gulf region, in teams of up to three, to propose campus sustainability or clean-energy ideas; finalists pitch at an in-person event in Abu Dhabi.

International, open to UAE · Students

Nominations open each September with a standard 31 January deadline; the current cycle's page shows that deadline extended to 1 March, with results by 30 May.

For IEEE PES student members anywhere in the world pursuing a Master's degree in electrical power engineering; requires nomination and reference letters, not self-application.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Open to people aged 18-35 at the time of the Forum who are active in renewable energy, sustainability or innovation. Up to 40 applicants receive travel, accommodation and visa support, and there is no application fee.

International, open to UAE · Students

The 2026 cycle: registration opened 1 June, closed with project submissions 28 August, and the global final presentations run 7 December 2026; the page does not state whether the challenge repeats in future years.

Global competition for enrolled undergraduate or graduate students aged 18-30, competing in teams of up to four who all study in the same country; no country is excluded, so UAE-based student teams can enter.

International, open to UAE · Students

Now in its fourth year (launched 2022) and renewed with over $10M in total giving planned for the next three years, confirming an annual cycle; the 2026 challenge closed 6 February 2026 and next year's exact dates are not yet posted.

Youth aged 13-18 from anywhere in the world submit, individually or in teams of up to six, a one-minute video solving one of five environmental challenges, including climate change; winners receive up to $10,000 to develop their idea.

International, open to UAE · Students

Annual contest governed by the 2026 rules manual; students compete first within their own SPE region before an international final at SPE's Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, with exact regional deadlines posted on a separate schedule page.

Undergraduate, master's and PhD-level SPE student members submit a 425-word-max abstract and compete through their own SPE region; Middle East is explicitly listed as one of the contest's 14 official regions.

UAE-based · Students

Deadline: 30 Nov 2026

UAE nationals or residents aged 15-18 attending a UAE-based school, with strong spoken English and a demonstrated interest in sustainability; free to join, via video submission and personal statement.

International, open to UAE · Students

Deadline: 10 Jan 2027

Open to students worldwide born between 2007 and 2014 who are in school, homeschooling or another educational programme; enter alone or in a team of up to five for a share of a $104,500 prize fund.

UAE-based · Early-career

The Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition runs annually in Dubai; the 2026 edition is held 20-22 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

An energy, water and environment exhibition spanning eight halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. The venue listing classifies the audience as trade only, so plan to attend in a professional or student-industry capacity.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Runs each January as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week; the 2027 edition is held 12-14 January 2027 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.

A clean energy exhibition and conference with visitor registration through the official site; the summit opens 07:30 on 12 January and 09:00 on 13-14 January, and no age or nationality criteria are stated.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Held annually in Dubai since 2014; the 2026 summit runs 21-22 October 2026 in Sheikh Rashid Hall at Dubai World Trade Centre.

A green economy summit under the patronage of the Ruler of Dubai, expecting around 3,300 attendees and 80 speakers from 31 countries; registration is open through the summit site and no age criteria are stated.

UAE-based · Students

Placements run over the winter and summer university breaks as part of the Young ADIPEC programme, whose 14th edition accompanies ADIPEC 2026 on 2-5 November 2026.

Two-week internship placements at energy companies in the UAE for undergraduate students, arranged through the Young ADIPEC programme; the page states no nationality criteria.

UAE-based · Students

Runs each year alongside the main ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi; the 2026 edition is the 14th, held 2-5 November 2026.

Open to UAE university students and young innovators who want to showcase energy-related research and ideas; no formal age or nationality criteria are stated beyond being based in the UAE.

UAE-based · Students

Part of the Young ADIPEC programme, whose 14th edition accompanies ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi on 2-5 November 2026.

Open to high school students, who present their own ideas for reducing methane emissions; the programme page states no further age or nationality criteria beyond being in high school.

International, open to UAE · Early-career

This page's own 2026 cycle: submissions closed 30 March 2026, finalists notified 11 May 2026, winners announced 15 June 2026, with regional showcase events June-September 2026 (Edinburgh, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne); the page does not itself state whether the awards recur in future years.

Open to IChemE members aged 18-30 worldwide, including the UAE, regardless of geographic location; entrants submit an innovation addressing one of eleven sustainability themes, including Energy and Climate Action.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Runs as an annual cohort-based programme (most recently the 2026 YFEL cohort); check the official portal for each year's registration window.

Khalifa University's flagship energy-leadership cohort, aimed at upper-year undergraduates, master's students and early-career professionals who want a year of structured exposure to clean-energy and sustainability challenges.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Runs each January as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week; the next edition falls within ADSW 2027, dated 10-14 January 2027 in Abu Dhabi.

A public forum bringing together thousands of young people from around the world for climate, energy and sustainability dialogues; the page states no formal age, nationality or application criteria.

UAE-based · Students & early-career

Submissions for the 2027 cycle ran Jan-Jun 2026, with new cycles opening each January.

Open globally to enterprises, nonprofits and schools with scalable sustainability or energy solutions; the Global High Schools category is specifically for student-led teams.