A sustainability initiative at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has earned a Guinness World Record for producing the largest volume of drinking water generated from air in 24 hours. The milestone was achieved through a collaboration between Ethara, organisers of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and Ma Hawa, the UAE-based, sustainable water production company owned by Baynunah Watergeneration Technologies SP. This significant achievement was announced during a ceremony held at the headquarters of Ethara in Abu Dhabi in association with MaHawa.
During the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix more than 30 Ma Hawa atmospheric water generation machines were deployed across the Yas Marina Circuit and Etihad Park. Within 24 hours, the system produced 60.75 cubic meters of drinking water from air setting a Guinness World Records for the ‘most water generated by an atmospheric water generation system in 24 hours.’
Across the race week, the technology produced up to 300,000 litres of drinking water, helping avoid more than 600,000 half-litre single-use plastic bottles and reducing associated carbon emissions by over 80 tonnes of equivalent CO₂.
Saif Rashid Al Noaimi, CEO of Ethara said: “At Ethara, we are committed to embedding sustainability into everything we do, across our events and venues. Our collaboration with Ma Hawa is a strong example of innovative technology that we can deploy at scale to make a meaningful difference.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is growing in attendance and programming, but our goal is to ensure its environmental footprint moves in the opposite direction. Preventing the use of more than 600,000 plastic bottles during the 2025 race week proves this is achievable and sets a new benchmark for how major events in the region can approach water supply and tackle single-use plastic.”
The record highlights how atmospheric water generation can support large-scale events while eliminating reliance on traditional bottled water supply chains.
Michael Rutman, CEO of Ma Hawa said, “What our technology does is essentially create rain in a box. Deploying this at the scale of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix shows how atmospheric water generation can operate reliably during major global events. Building a resilient, water-secure future for the region is the goal of our company — and it’s rewarding to see that effort recognised with a Guinness World Record, too.”
The 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the most sustainable edition of the event to date. Alongside the atmospheric water generation initiative, a venue-wide ban on single-use plastic bottles and cups was introduced across the paddock, media centre, hospitality areas and 148 food and beverage outlets at Yas Marina Circuit and Etihad Park. The event also made significant progress towards its 100% renewable energy goal, tripling its solar capacity from the previous year and using biofuel in all temporary power generators.
