A research team from Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (Qeeri) has advanced to the semi-final stage of the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition in two technical tracks. The PlasmaPure team is among only three teams globally—and the sole representative from the Gulf region—to reach this level in both Track A: Desalination – System-Level Innovation and Track B: Desalination – Novel Materials and Methods.

XPRIZE Water Scarcity is an international, multi-year contest that seeks to revolutionize seawater desalination by making it more reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable. The competition began with 674 pre-registrations from 86 countries, ultimately narrowing down to 143 teams who underwent extensive technical evaluation and physical testing.

Led by Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, research director of Qeeri’s Water Centre, the PlasmaPure team includes scientists and engineers collaborating across multiple institutions, including HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering, the University of Montreal, and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique in Canada.

In Track A, the team is developing an integrated desalination platform that combines several technologies to enhance water recovery while reducing energy consumption and environmental impact. This system also focuses on the management and recovery of valuable resources from concentrated brine, addressing a critical challenge in conventional desalination processes.

For Track B, researchers are working on bio-inspired reverse osmosis membranes modeled after sharkskin. These membranes feature specially engineered surfaces intended to reduce fouling and scaling, common issues that degrade membrane performance. The design aims to optimize water transport efficiency, particularly under the high-salinity and elevated temperature conditions typical of the Gulf region.

The team’s progress highlights Qatar’s increasing role as a hub for innovation in water technology, reflecting HBKU’s commitment to addressing water scarcity challenges both domestically and in other arid regions worldwide. Through advancements made at Qeeri’s Water Centre, the university is actively contributing to more sustainable water production methods, resource recovery, and overall water security in water-stressed environments.