UAE: Should countries be measured by happiness? 3 changemakers honoured for bold ideas
What if solar panels were not only efficient but also recyclable, made from non-toxic materials? What if a country's success was measured not just by GDP but also by the happiness and wellbeing of its people?
These were just some of the bold ideas that earned recognition at the inaugural Wellbeing Economy Award, where three innovative UAE-based projects were honoured for driving sustainability, innovation, and reimagining progress.
Greenpeace MENA, in partnership with Ajman University and the UAE Universities Climate Network, celebrated the winners of the 'Wellbeing Economy Award,' an initiative that recognises transformative ideas and research projects driving sustainability and innovation in the UAE and the Gulf region.
Powering the future, sustainably
The first prize was awarded to Bayan Alradib, Farah Adnana and Samer H Zyoud, for their work on recyclable solar cells. Bayan Alradib, a fourth-year engineering student at Ajman University specialising in power and renewable energy, explained how their research explored an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional solar cells.
'We did research in the nanotechnology field where we developed a solar cell that is recyclable and not harmful to the environment, compared to traditional ones,' she said.
Their project focused on developing solar cells using Copper Zinc Tin Sulphur (CZTS), a compound that is abundant, non-toxic, recyclable, and cost-effective. Unlike conventional cells that rely on cadmium sulphide, a toxic material that's hard to recycle, the CZTS cells are sustainable and better suited for the UAE's harsh desert climate.
'Solar cells are very sensitive to heat,' said Bayan. 'When temperatures rise, the open circuit voltage drops and efficiency collapses. Our cells maintain high efficiency under these conditions and can be deployed on a large scale in future to power towns and neighbourhoods.'
'This idea came to me while working with the compound in another project. I thought, why not use this as a clean source of energy?' added Bayan.
The team hope their innovation will pave the way for more scalable and sustainable solar energy solutions in the region.
New measure of progress
Second place was awarded to Dr Mohammed Elseidi, assistant professor of statistics and data science at Umm Al Quwain University. His research offers a fresh perspective on how national progress should be measured, beyond just economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
'We developed a new model using machine learning and statistical forecasting to create what we call a Hybrid Wellbeing Index,' said Dr Elseidi. 'It combines over 100 indicators spread across human development, financial growth, and sustainability.'
For instance, the Human Development Index in this model factors in health, mental wellbeing, and overall life satisfaction. Meanwhile, financial indicators include business architecture and economic metrics, while sustainability indicators cover environmental impact and climate-conscious policies.
'GDP does not reflect whether a country is truly thriving in a sustainable and human-centric way,' said Dr Elseidi. 'Our model gives a fuller picture of where a society stands and where it's heading in terms of wellbeing and sustainability.'
The model has already shown promising results in the UAE, predicting strong growth in overall wellbeing over the next five years. 'Our research shows that the wellbeing of people in the UAE has steadily increased over the last 20 years. And our forecast predicts even more progress in the next five years,' he said.
Dr Elseidi's team plans to apply this model to other Gulf and MENA countries in the future. 'This isn't just about numbers, it's about creating a better understanding of what truly makes a country successful.'
Desert inspiration
The third prize went to Najla Almatrooshi and Nicole Weber from Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi for their thought-provoking research titled 'Desert Bloom Economies: Reimagining Gulf Wellbeing through Biomimicry, Non-Anthropocentric Ethics, and Post-Rentier Narratives.'
Their work reimagines the future of Gulf economies by integrating environmental ethics and inspiration from nature, challenging traditional resource-dependent models and advocating for more resilient, life-centred approaches to growth.
The awards serve as a reminder that the UAE's young minds are not just dreaming of change, they are building it.
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