His Excellency Engineer Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, announced that the final judging session for the Irrigation Solutions Innovation Competition will be held on September 22 at the Manama Municipality building. The session will feature presentations and discussions of the shortlisted ideas and projects, which will then be evaluated in preparation for selecting the winning projects.
His Excellency explained that the competition, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as part of the Tree Week Initiative last year, aims to encourage innovative ideas and creative solutions for developing modern irrigation systems, improving water-use efficiency, and enhancing the use of treated water in landscaping and urban beautification projects.
The Minister affirmed that the competition represents a national platform for supporting innovation and developing practical and sustainable solutions for water resource management. This contributes to improving the efficiency of irrigation networks, supporting afforestation efforts, and increasing green spaces across the Kingdom.
He noted that the competition forms part of efforts to support the afforestation plan, which aims to double the number of trees by 2035 through the use of smart systems and practical applications that enhance irrigation efficiency. This is in line with national priorities in environmental sustainability and climate action, as well as efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
For his part, His Excellency Engineer Ibrahim bin Hassan Al Hawaj, Minister of Works, affirmed that the competition represents an important opportunity to explore and adopt innovative and sustainable irrigation solutions using treated water, thereby enhancing its efficient use and maximizing its benefits.
His Excellency explained that the final judging session represents an important stage in assessing the shortlisted solutions and discussing their technical, operational and economic aspects, as well as their feasibility and potential for future implementation and expansion. He noted that the diverse expertise and specializations represented on the judging panel would contribute to a comprehensive assessment of the projects and the selection of solutions that achieve the competition's objectives.
The Minister of Works affirmed that the Ministry looks forward to the competition's outcomes contributing practical solutions that support the development of irrigation networks and increase the use of treated water, thereby strengthening the Kingdom's efforts to expand green spaces and promote sustainability in infrastructure and urban beautification projects.
The competition comprises two main categories. The first focuses on developing innovative irrigation solutions at a number of designated locations, including King Hamad Street, Bahrain Bay Street and Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Avenue. The second focuses on selecting an area in the Kingdom that is not connected to the treated water network, studying its requirements and proposing an integrated solution to provide irrigation services.
The competition invited individuals, engineering firms, contractors, universities, institutes, research centers and other institutions to submit practical innovations aimed at improving water-use efficiency, ensuring balanced irrigation distribution, and supporting agricultural and urban beautification projects.
