Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Water & Future Energy Affair, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure
Through his role in the Ministry, he is leading the development of strategies and policies for the
Electricity & Water sector at the federal level and coordinates the sector’s efforts to achieve the UAE’s
2050 energy vision. Prior joining the Ministry, Eng. Yousif Al Ali was the Executive Director of Masdar
Clean Energy Unit, leading areas of investment, greenfield development, bidding, mergers & acquisitions, asset management and operations for local and global large-scale renewable energy
projects. Part of his role in Masdar was to oversee Masdar’s Energy Services activities, and its
growing portfolio of energy efficiency projects and off-grid renewable energy projects in the MENA
region and international markets. Eng. Yousif serves as a member in the board of Directors for the Federal Nuclear Regulation Authority and many other national and international companies like Shams Power Company, Jordan Wind Power Company (JWPC), Krnovo Green Energy (KGE) in Montenegor and Baynouna Solar Energy PSC. Prior to Joining Masdar, Eng. Al Ali worked as a plant Engineer for Abu Dhabi Polymers at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
A UAE national with 18 years of outstanding renewable energy and petrochemical industries experience in Masdar Clean Energy. Eng. Al Ali holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the IE Business School in Madrid, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from UAE University, in addition to being a certified Project Management Professional.
Director of the Trade Negotiations and International Organizations Department, Ministry of Economy
Group Chief Executive Officer, Mashreq
Ahmed Abdelaal is the CEO of Mashreq Bank Group, one of the UAE’s best performing banks for over five decades and a leading financial institution with an expanding footprint across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and USA. The group incorporates local and overseas operations, Oman Insurance, Mashreq Capital, Mashreq Al Islami, Mashreq Securities, Shorouq Commodities Trading, Mindscape, Makaseb, Injaz and Osool finance. In his current role, Ahmed is committed to leading and delivering on the bank’s strategy and ensuring its growth trajectory.
As a banking professional with over 25 years of experience in progressively senior roles across banking verticals spanning international and regional banks, Ahmed possesses a proven track record of delivering strong results in the face of challenging environment and owns extensive experience in managing senior teams across multi geographies as well as attracting, mentoring and retaining top talents.
He has widespread experience and exceptional financial acumen across banking products; covering a wide range of disciplines and hands-on knowledge of solutions in the areas of Corporate and Banking; including trade finance, contracting and real estate finance, payment and cash management, and also Investment Banking, including DCM, ECM, Project Finance and advisory, as well as Islamic banking, portfolio management, in addition to full familiarity with global markets products, structured trade and working capital solutions.
Head, Program Management and Marketing, Masdar
Steve Severance leads the Program Management and Marketing for Masdar City, a low-carbon sustainable city and clean-technology cluster in Abu Dhabi. He oversees numerous projects to ensure they meet program baselines that balance sustainability and economic requirements, as well as program controls guaranteeing each project meets sustainability, revenue, cost, and schedule targets. Additionally, Mr. Severance leads the development of the technology lines of business including district cooling, mobility, and smart city initiatives. He develops new business models, execution strategies and partnerships with leading global companies to implement the technology requirements.
Energy Transition Expert, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure
Dipak Sakaria is the Energy Transition Expert at Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure UAE with the current responsibility of developing UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy.
Prior to joining the Ministry of Energy, Dipak worked in the Upstream Strategy, Portfolio Management and EPC Project Management at several companies, including ADNOC, Qatar Petroleum and BP Norway. Notable is his 30 years with his last post as Vice President Upstream Strategy & Portfolio Management for ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), UAE.
Dipak received his MSc. & BSc. in Offshore Structures & Aeronautical Engineering from Cranfield Institute of Technology UK & Queen Mary University of London respectively from 1981 to 1985.
Technical Advisor and Head of Sustainability Committee, Kuwait Water Association
Hebah Abbas is a playmaker and innovative technology and construction leader with more than 20 years of solid experience starting in the international telecom private sector, where she closed key Regional deals. She then transferred to the strategic public sector of education overseeing the cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the private sector in the form of EPC and PPP framework through multiple projects.
A graduate of Syracuse University, New York , Hebah is a lead team member in the Commissioning Authority for national educational facilities, a selected member of the Contracts Committee and Educational Facilities Inspection Committee within the division; where she streamlines technical specifications and contracts for national facilities and performs National Facilities Audit. Moreover, Hebah has been nominated to be a part of the official team following up the implementation of Kuwait's National Development Plan for the education sector.
A certified LEED (R) Green Associate TM and CIPM ™ Certified International Project Manager, Hebah Abbas is a pioneer in the sustainability and clean energy implementation projects, starting as Business Development Consultant in Life Energy in 2010. Some of her recent participation/nominations are: implementing solar panels and BMS in new school projects, selected by KFAS to attend the The Deployment of Renewables: Barriers, Options, and Lessons for the GCC workshop held by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Moreover, Hebah abbas was invited to attend multiple certified high level energy workshops in the UN House Kuwait, In order to formulate the Kuwait Energy Outlook (KEO). She is currently the Technical Advisor for Kuwait Water Association and the Head of Sustainability Committee.
Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence, Etihad Aviation Group
Mariam comes from a multidisciplinary background in renewable and nuclear energy, natural resource management, change management, and the management of technology and innovation. As head of Sustainability & Business Excellence in Etihad Aviation Group, she supported a pro-sustainability transformation within the organization, making it a thought leader in sustainable aviation focusing on cleaner fuels, operational efficiency and carbon offsets. She is an active sustainability expert serving taskforces within the GCAA, IATA and ICAO.
Chief Sustainability Officer, Aramex International Limited
Mr. Hattar joined Aramex in 1991 as a Corporate IT Officer. In 2001 he was appointed as the Corporate Customer Relationship Manager and helped to
establish the team concept within Aramex. In 2006, he took on the role of Chief Projects Officer and helped in establishing the Sustainability team. He also led the
team that developed Aramex’s first Sustainability Report (2006), which is the first of its kind in the entire region. In 2010, Mr. Hattar spearheaded the team responsible for issuing Aramex’s first Carbon Footprint report.
As part of Aramex's contribution to the UN Global Compact initiative, Mr. Hattar was promoted to his current position as Chief Sustainability Officer in 2008, and since then, he leads the company’s ambitious Sustainability strategy aiming at building on the fully sustainable business model Aramex has. Through his current position, he established the Compliance team at Aramex and built the compliance
program for the company in-line with the highest international standards which allowed Aramex to comply with all its stakeholders’ compliance requirements.
Director, Sustainability, EEMEA, Mastercard
Director of Sustainability & CSR, Aldar Properties
Salwa Al Maflahi is the Director of Sustainability & CSR at Aldar Properties. In her current role, Salwa oversees the group-wide Sustainability and CSR strategies of Aldar Properties and ensures its integration across the Group’s activities worldwide, as part of its vision to become “a leading real estate developer and manager that creates memorable experiences and value for our customers and shareholders”. Currently Salwa’s is developing and driving the Net Zero Action Plan across Aldar’s different business units, raising the company’s Sustainability and ESG Profile in the Middle East and globally, and leading CSR efforts to bring value and impact to the communities.
Head Of Sustainability Section Safety, Health & Environment Department General Directorate of Institutional Support Services, Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority
GM Application Engineering, GE Gas Power EMEA
Otmane Benamar is the General Manager of GE Gas Power’s Application Engineering organization in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). He provides engineering leadership from project inception to contract award, supporting the regional sales team to deliver innovative, world-class technical solutions for customers’ power generation needs. Otmane helps to optimize GE equipment and plant configurations to enhance customer value, helping to bridge the gap between standard GE product offerings and specific
application needs.
Otmane started his career in 1996 in Belfort, France, as an R&D engineer with European Gas Turbine, a business of GEC Alstom that was acquired by GE. In
2001, Otmane joined the Engineering Testing team in charge of the instrumentation, testing and data processing of NPIs. Since then, he has continued to move into progressively senior roles, taking on his current role in January 2022.
Otmane has a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Energy Optimization and Analysis Techniques from the Faculty of L. NEEL Science, Polytechnic Institute
of Sévenans and University of Haute Alsace in France. He is based in Dubai, UAE.
Senior Executive Vice President, Group Head of Corporate & Investment Banking., Mashreq Bank
Chief Sustainability Officer Asia, Middle East and Africa Engie
With over 18 years of experience Daxita has established herself as a thought leader and an influencer in the sustainability sector. She is an advocate for environmental protection and climate change with a keen interest in developing real world strategies that balance the economy, society, and the environment. Daxita has leveraged the unique lessons she learned from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East to drive change and improve sustainable growth. Her role as Chief Sustainability Officer at ENGIE AMEA, is aligned to implementing and driving solutions that promotes ENGIE’s Carbon Neutral vision as well as ensuring ENGIE’s active engagement with its local stakeholders and lobbying for climate action.
Head of Innovation & ESG, AECOM
Farah is an award-winning climate change strategist and Co Author of Middle East Regions first book on Net zero city. She has 20 years’ experience in the built environment gained in the US, UK, Southeast Asia and most recently the UAE.
Since arriving in Dubai in 2015, Farah has been steering sustainability and innovation agenda in the built environment across the Middle East. Her name is synonymous with implementable sustainability and energy strategies, and she has supported several iconic projects, including the Museum of the Future, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Bee’ah HQ in Sharjah and the Expo 2020 Sustainability Pavilion, to achieve their sustainability goals.
While based in the UK, Farah was heavily involved in creating the energy strategy for the country’s first zero-energy building, Ashmount Primary School, which won the 2015 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Sustainable Buildings Award.
As an innovator, Farah focuses on implementing best practices in the built environment by applying systems related to the Food-Energy-Water Nexus, biomimetics, the Five Capital model of Sustainability, Liveability, and Inclusive Innovation Frameworks, which will build the foundation of the cities and communities of the future.
Farah is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and Chair of CIBSE’s UAE Chapter, LEED and WELL Accredited Professional and Verified Research Expert for the Dubai Future Foundation. Farah is an active advocate of STEM education for future generations.
Managing Director – CRIF Gulf
Manjeet Singh Chhabra is the driving force behind CRIF Gulf and CRIF Egypt Information Technologies. He is the Managing Director of CRIF Gulf and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CRIF Egypt Information Technology; both these companies are part of the world’s leading risk management and business solutions provider CRIF S.P.A and are members of the Dun & Bradstreet worldwide network.
Since 2010 Manjeet has been a force multiplier at CRIF bringing best practices and high-quality business reporting standards to the region. During his stewardship, CRIF has seen rapid success in the middle east region, doubling revenues every three years. CRIF built world-class data assets for the emerging markets and launched scores of region-specific Risk and Compliance products. Manjeet also played a vital role in forging a partnership with UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization to launch Taqyeem services. With a team of 200 strong and a footprint across UAE and Egypt, CRIF Gulf today supports an impressive list of over 500 clients ranging from banks, government institutions, and SMEs. Prior to CRIF Dun & Bradstreet, Manjeet was the Managing Director at Columbus A/S. A true entrepreneur at heart, Manjeet started his career with Reliance Industries in 1993 and moved to the UAE in 1999 to take up senior business development roles.
Manjeet’s pursuit of growth opportunities has spanned across the Gulf and Africa. One of the hallmarks of his over 25 years of illustrious career is to challenge the Status Quo and to empower his winning team continually.
Partner and CMO, SunMoney Solar Group
Zoltan is the co-owner and Chief Marketing Officer of SunMoney Solar Group. SunMoney is running the world’s biggest community solar power program bringing the renewable energy investment opportunity to small private investors globally since 2013. As a partner he is responsible for marketing, communication and business development in the group.
Zoltan is a visionary strategist and “playmaker” with two decades of experience in marketing and communication both as a corporate executive and as an entrepreneur. He started his professional career as a crisis correspondent covering stories in war and disaster torn areas of the world. That is when he started to pursue his passion for “saving the world”. He strongly believes that making the world a better place can be profitable too and that companies should focus on involving more and more people in the fight against climate change through their business models.
Managing Director- MENA, Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC)
Ahmed Samir Elbermbali is the Managing Director of the MENA Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting clean energy and clean technologies and solutions MENA Region. CEBC provides a platform to further dialogue between the public and private sectors to develop much needed policy and regulation to help drive the implementation of clean energy across the MENA region. Ahmed joined CEBC in 2018 and the youngest Managing Director to hold this position in the history of CEBC.
Conference Chairman - Senior Advisor, Energy, Sustainability, ESG and Climate Action
Dr. P.R. Jagannathan is well known in the industry as an expert on Energy, Sustainability and Climate Action and has more than 25 years of professional experience in this domain . He specializes in providing strategic advises on sustainability and climate action and further reinforces by designing and developing bespoke solutions to help stakeholders meet their goals and climate ambitions. As Sustainability Head at Trakhees a Regulatory Authority in Dubai, he designed, developed and administered major Policy tools and Regulations surrounding built environments and has further achieved new heights in driving Energy efficiency, Green building code and Certification within the jurisdiction. He was an active working group member in several strategic programs of Emirate including 2040 Master plan, Dubai Code unification, Building Energy labelling, DSM and Building energy intensity. He further spearheaded the design and development of a bespoke and unique green building rating system. He led Trakhees into winning the prestigious “Emirates Energy Award” of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.
Secretary General, Arab Renewable Energy Commission (AREC) and the Vice Chairman of Jordanian Renewable Energy Society (JRES)
Eng. Mohammed Al Ta'ani is the Secretary General of Arab Renewable Energy Commission (AREC)and the Vice Chairman of Jordanian Renewable Energy Society (JRES) & general manager. He is the founder of both JRES & AREC. He was working in the field of Renewable Energy since 1988 (Solar PV &Green Building) as Project manager and researcher and publish more than 25 papers. From 1999-2007 he was the project manager for the Renewable energy in King Abdullah the Second Design & Development Bureau (KADDB). In 2002 he was the Project manager for the Jordanian Solar Car & Zero fossil Fuel House (Eco House for KADDB) Project manager. He was the Vice Director of Energy Center in Jordan University from 2007 until 2008 where he was working as the founder of this center. He was the founder of the Global Net for Renewable Energy in the Desert regions (GNREADER). Also was the Chairman of Renewable energy committee in Jordan Institution for Standards & Metrology, Ambassador of the DONG energy solar challenge events in the middle-east countries (World Cup for Solar Powered Boats). Member in the board of directors of renewable energy center in Philadephia university.
Partner & Associate Director, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Bakatjan is a Partner and Associate Director in the BCG Dubai office. He is a core member of the firm’s Energy practice, specializing in power and gas markets & regulation, green energy, distributed energy resources, EV & EV charging infrastructure, and sustainable supply chain management. Bakatjan worked in BCG’s Istanbul and Middle East offices. His recent BCG projects include EV charging infrastructure development, battery storage solutions, growth in
distributed energy resources, and decarbonization.
Before joining BCG, Bakatjan was Vice President, Managing Director and Board Member at Innogy (then RWE) companies in SEE and Turkey; responsible for new market entry strategy.
Vice President, Sustainability & Communications, Engie
Florence is Director Projects and Coordination for ENGIE Asia, Middle East, Africa and also Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer for GCC and Pakistan. With a Master’s Degrees in Finance from Paris IX Dauphine, Florence started her career in the financial sector and managed commercial teams before moving to the utilities sector in 1998, when she joined SUEZ. As a brand and commercial expert with an Advanced Studies degree in Communication & Marketing from CELSA and from HEC Paris, she very quickly moved to external communications to take the lead of the ENGIE Group Business & Marketing Communications & Group Audiovisual Communications.
In 2016, she took up the role of Executive Vice President Strategy, Communications, Sustainability, for ENGIE Middle east, South& Asia, Turkey at ENGIE’s regional HQ in Dubai.
Florence is a passionate advocate for women and sustainability issues in the global energy sector. She is a member of the board of French Business Group in Abu Dhabi, and the vice president of the French Club “Renewable Energies” in the Middle East. She has been nominated French Trade Advisor to the UAE. She was nominated in 2021, member of the board of Global Compact Network Saudi Arabia.
Chief Commercial & Innovation Officer, AlSafwa Cement Company
Motaz has more than 15 years of experience in leading Organizational Transformation, Organizational Growth, Business Development, Commercial, Innovation, Supply Chain & Ecology spanned over different industries including petrochemicals & construction. Currently he is the Chief Commercial & Innovation Officer in AlSafwa Cement Company where he successfully led the innovation of more than 8 commercial products, five alternative fuel & raw materials initiatives in addition to carbon capture initiatives positioning AlSafwa as a pioneer in carbon circular economy & a role model in innovation among the heavy industries. He is a member of the National Committee of Cement Producers with the Ministry of Commerce & Trade.
Executive Director, RSB
Graeme Sims is the Executive Director of Dubai’s Electricity and Water Regulator, the RSB. An economist by background, he has over thirty years’ experience of the electricity and water industries gained in the UK and UAE. Graeme was Deputy Director General at the UK’s Office of Electricity Regulation where he was responsible for the electricity industry in Scotland. From there he moved to Abu Dhabi to establish the emirate’s water and electricity regulatory body, acting as its first Director General. On his return to the UK he joined United Utilities, a FTSE100 utility company, serving as its Regulation Director. Graeme is a graduate of Oxford University and began his career with the Boston Consulting Group.
Head of Strategic Development, ENGIE Solutions
Yvon is Head of Strategic Development ENGIE Asia, Middle East and Africa. Along with that, he is currently leading the asset-based solutions development team in the GCC. He has 20 years of experience in general management, development, and M&A for large and medium scale infrastructure projects, covering origination to financial close, as well as transition to operations. Previously commodities trader and an investor in biotechnology in France (2001-2006) before moving to the UK in 2007 to develop renewable power projects. With ENGIE in the UAE since 2014, Yvon contributed to developing ENGIE Solutions in the GCC, including notably the Tabreed acquisition.
Resident Coordinator for the UAE, United Nations
Dr. Dena Assaf is the United Nations Resident Coordinator for the United Arab Emirates. She has been with the United Nations for over 20 years in various senior management positions and advisory roles in UN headquarters, the Arab Region, and various UN country offices.
Senior Director - Investment Banking, Mashreq - Investment Banking
Investment Banking professional with 14+ years of wide-ranging experience in loan origination, structuring, underwriting, and distribution across MENA. Currently Senior Director, Investment Banking Coverage & Origination, with Mashreq Bank based in Dubai. Focused on originating and executing investment banking mandates across our corporate client base. He is also managing all Sustainable Finance transactions.
Husam has closed numerous transactions for clients, raising over USD 50bn across multiple sectors, including Sovereigns, Energy, Industrials, Real Estate, and Financials. Husam has earned a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the Florida State University, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a CFA charter holder.
Senior Advisor to the CEO, Sustainability, Emirates Global Aluminium
Ivano is widely acknowledged as the GCC foremost experts in the fields of Sustainability and Carbon Emission Management. He is a Board Director of the ESG Foundation and a subject matter expert in green economy, Sustainability and low carbon pathways from an economic and commercially viable standpoint. His primary work is with governments and corporate clients to develop long term economic scenarios that help them understand the risks and opportunities that the transition to a low carbon economy could bring to their operations.
Vice President- Engineering, Engie
Latifa Lahsine is Vice-President Engineering and Technical Support for Engie in Dubai since 2018 and has more than 15 years international experience in the water industry. She is based in Dubai since 2006 and previously was in Paris (France) in the R&D sector for Gaz de France.
From project development up to the Operation and Maintenance phase Latifa is involved in each phase of a water project life. She is an expert on water treatment technologies and more specifically on desalination. In addition of leading within Engie the center of excellence for desalination she shows a particular interest on the environmental aspect and impacts of the technologies used to produce potable water. She is French and holds a Master Degree in Chemical Engineering.
Senior Sustainability Consultant, AESG
Partner at Arthur D. Little
Adnan brings extensive experience in consulting, technology and operations and specializes in corporate strategy, growth strategy, diversification and innovation strategy and management. He focuses on new energy (clean technology, renewables, energy storage, hydrogen, etc.) and emerging technology trends including digital technology.
Adnan advises both public and private-sector clients in the Middle East, Europe and South East Asia over the last 11 years. He advises clients on strategy, technology and innovation related matters, navigating through the energy transition and setting up new businesses for sustainable growth. He covers client in the energy domain (Oil & Gas, Power and Water Utilities), aerospace and defense, ministries and large diversified family conglomerates
Prior to joining Arthur D. Little, Adnan worked as a Project Manager / Process Development Manager in the technology sector with Kyocera in Florida USA for more than 8 years. His responsibilities included leading and managing 2 key product lines in ultra high frequency hybrid microcircuits for defense and telecommunication sector,
Adnan holds a MBA from Indian School of Business and a M.S in Materials Science and Engineering from Ohio State University. He also completed his Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from BITS, Pilani
Senior Director, Demand Side Management Supreme Council of Energy
Faisal Ali Rashid, U.A.E national, a degree holder of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Dayton, Ohio university-U.S.A. Also, a certified PMP (Project Management Professional). Earn LSE professional certificate in the area of energy public policy making. Has a wide and solid experience in energy management including supply and demand strategy. Has solid background in process industrial plant including oil & gas, power& water generation process, material handling process, glass manufacturing process. Mr. Rashid has been frequent speaker and active participant at various local and international energy related conferences.
He has published numerous articles and white papers on energy management and sustainability topics.
Current job is energy senior Demand side management director in Dubai Supreme Council of Energy looking after the whole energy demand management spectrum of emirate of Dubai. He has contributed to success of DSM programs and energy efficiency policy structure in Dubai. Served previously in oil and gas industry for 15 years as project division manager / Project Manager, handled mega feed and EPC projects and worked as general manager in glass manufacturing plant for 3 years.
Senior Vice President, Unit Manager – Energy Sector, Mashreq
With a 24-year career, Mr. Chaudhry is currently the Senior Vice President and Sector Head of the Energy at Mashreq Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking Group in Dubai. Mr. Chaudhry has worked at Mashreq since 2005, starting as a Relationship Manager for Large Corporates. Prior to that, he worked at Habib Bank in Dubai and Jebel Ali, and Agripak International in Pakistan.
Mr. Chaudhry was tasked by Mashreq to setup the Energy Sector where he is currently overseeing a portfolio of Corporate Relationships operating in the Energy Space. Mr. Chaudhry has been successful in building upon Mashreq strong credentials & market excellence in the Trade Finance domain; all the while enriching the product and services applicable for the Sector. Mr. Chaudhry is adept at managing corporate relationships by offering wholesale corporate banking solutions, including structured trade finance, receivables finance, and corporate finance. His many accomplishments include origination of landmark Corporate Finance transactions which have been awarded multiple awards and recognitions.
Mr. Chaudhry has an MBA in Finance, with Merit, from the University of Leeds in the UK.
Director Business Development-Hydrogen, ACWA Power
Driss joins us with 10 years’ experience in renewable power project development across Middle East and Africa, 8 of those with ACWA Power. Driss has been involved in the development and closing of a portfolio of over 3 GW of renewable projects totaling over 7bn USD of capital investments, across the technology spectrum of concentrated solar, solar PV and wind projects. Driss brings expertise in early-stage development, tendering, technical optimisation, commercial structuring, partnerships, major contracts negotiation, acquisition, and greenfield financing of utility scale power projects under an Independent Power Producer (IPP) framework. Driss has been involved with the NEOM Green Hydrogen project since its inception, leading at the feasibility stage and acting since then as the Deputy Project Director on ACWA Power’s behalf. Driss is a dual graduate from Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm Sweden. He holds both French & Moroccan citizenships, is married and has two children.
Acting Director - Environment & Waste Management, Lean, Quality and Innovation, Emirates Global Aluminium
Mohammad started his career in the oil and gas sector, working in a quality and process control
laboratory. He joined EGA in 2010 and is currently responsible for developing and implementing EGA’s
environmental, quality, and lean management systems. His areas of specialisation include
environmental management and assessment, waste recycling, climate change, greenhouse gas
management, sustainability, quality management, and innovation. Mohammad holds a Master’s degree in Project Management from the British University Dubai, and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Boston University.
Chief Executive Officer, TRANSCO
Founder, Neutral Fuels Holdings Ltd
Neutral Fuels was founded by Karl W. Feilder in 2011 when few people in the Middle East believed that climate change was real and even fewer believed that
waste cooking oil could be recycled into biofuel at scale. Ten years later, Neutral Fuels Holdings is based in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of net zero biofuel in the GCC, having produced more than 13.5 million litres of biofuel in the UAE since inception.
In addition to its UAE biorefineries, the company currently operates in Bahrain, India, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa
Chief Communications Officer, TAQA
Gareth Wynn serves as TAQA’s Chief Communications Officer, a position he has held since January 2021. In this role, he oversees all external, internal, government advocacy and corporate social responsibility activities across the Group. Mr. Wynn has more than two decades of experience as a senior communications leader in international energy companies. He most recently served as Stakeholder and Communications Director for Oil & Gas UK, the leading representative organization for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. He has also held key senior management positions at EDF Energy and FTI Consulting. Mr. Wynn holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Microbial Technology with honors from the University of Warwick.
Partner, Lead for Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Arthur D. Little
Managing Director, Zest Associates
Jeffrey is an international climate change specialist who works with governments and the private sector to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. He is the Managing Director of Zest Associates, a UAE-based sustainability consultancy focused on climate policy, cleantech innovation and green finance. Jeffrey has worked in over 20 countries to develop effective climate policies, identify cleantech product-market fit and unlock finance for renewables and energy efficiency. He is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK, and holds an MSc Environmental Change & Management from Oxford University, and a BA Combined Honours in Economics and Psychology from Carleton University, Canada.
Project Manager, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy
Energy Efficiency Manager, RAK Municipality
Dr. Pablo Izquierdo is the Energy Efficiency Manager at the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem) of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, UAE, responsible for all building retrofits and energy management activities in the Emirate. He has 20 years of experience on sustainability and energy management, 6 of them in the UAE, during which he has developed corporate sustainability strategies for government entities in the UAE as well as energy and waste masterplan strategies worldwide. He has also certified the sustainability of commercial buildings in the Middle East and Europe using LEED EBOM and carried out several energy audits.
In the UAE, prior to his current position, he worked as Senior Manager for Energy Audit and Consultancy for Smart4Power, an ENGIE Solutions company, and before that as PMO Director for Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence. Formerly, he worked with engineering consultancies and real estate advisory firms in the UK and Spain.
Lead Data Scientist, UN Office, UAE
Zeinab Ali is the Lead Data Scientist at the UN Office in Abu Dhabi. She has worked in various capacities across the UN system in Africa and Asia Pacific before taking on her current assignment in the UAE. Her area of expertise is development instruments for measurement of progress, and the use of technology and big data to capture and track trends in sustainable development. A hallmark of her previous work was introducing new innovations to strengthen good governance and accountability of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of Kenya. She is currently a PhD candidate in International Development.
Managing Director, The Umbrella Institute
Anne Marie Thodsen is the Managing Director of The Umbrella Institute, a UAE based ESG & Sustainability advisory. The Umbrella Institute is specialized in business behavior and triple bottom line transformation, ESG & Sustainability reporting, and program development. Thodsen’s passion lies in empowering leaders taking action their organizational triple bottom line impact - And advocating the effects of the change to other business leaders.
Thodsen is a serial entrepreneur who has worked in the area of sustainability and corporate responsibility for more than a decade. She has been involved in business transformation at the operational level, as the GM in a Middle Eastern construction company and owner of a green storage facility in Denmark.
Thodsen’s strategy centers around the firm knowledge that companies who share openly and act responsibly, drives greater engagement and ultimately have a more loyal customer base and sustainable income for the long-term.
She is a member of ARISE UAE the business network for the UN Disaster Risk Reduction Network (UNDRR) and Chair of judges at Gulf Sustainability Awards in 2020 and 2021.
Chief Sustainability Officer, Diamond Developers
With 24 years of management experience in sustainability, conservation, and the built environment, Karim combines engineering, sciences, and business management skills towards “net zero”. He spearheads strategic sustainability programs, including climate proof real estate. An effective communicator (4 languages) across a range of audiences and sectors, Karim is familiar with all major sustainability frameworks, the United Nations SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and future technologies.
