As part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the MENA Oceans Initiative by Goumbook, in collaboration with The Mangrove Breakthrough, convened the Friends of the Mangrove Breakthrough Meeting on 14 January 2026 at the Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue Center in Abu Dhabi.
The meeting was a moment of reconnection with regional partners and stakeholders from across government, finance, NGOs, and the private sector who contributed to the development and early momentum of the Mangrove Breakthrough, since its initial convening in Abu Dhabi in 2023. With Dr. Carlos Eduardo Correa Escaf, Global Ambassador – The Mangrove Breakthrough and the Mangrove Alliance for Climate – led by the UAE and Indonesia in attendance, discussions focused on recent milestones in government engagement, policy alignment, capacity development, and emerging financing mechanisms, as well as the role of partnerships in translating ambition into on-the-ground action.
In her keynote address, Dr. Hind Al Ameri from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) outlined the agency’s long-standing role in advancing mangrove conservation and restoration at both regional and global levels, and Abu Dhabi’s leadership through the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, including the publication of the region’s first mangrove restoration guidelines, adapted to local ecosystems to support successful and evidence-based restoration efforts.
Dr. Al Ameri underscored the role of mangroves as nature-based solutions that deliver climate mitigation, resilience, and biodiversity benefits simultaneously, and highlighted expanded government engagement, integration into national climate strategies, and the introduction of practical tools to help move from conservation ambition to implementation and finance.
The session highlighted The Mangrove Breakthrough’s continued focus on halting deforestation, expanding protection, and scaling restoration of this key ecosystem.
Participants reflected on milestones that shaped the Mangrove Breakthrough’s trajectory since its early stages – including the joint workshop held in Abu Dhabi in 2023, which brought together more than 50 stakeholders and helped define the initiative’s mandate, guiding principles, stakeholder roles, and early financial pathways.
Ignace Beguin Billecocq highlighted the Mangrove Catalytic Facility that will help secure the future of 15 million hectares of mangroves by 2030 through $4 billion in investment. Aligning governments, NGOs, local communities, and financial institutions, The Mangrove Breakthrough aims to make mangrove projects transparent, investable, and economically relevant; building a new model for global mangrove conservation and demonstrating how science, and investment can converge to deliver measurable impact.
The meeting also introduced the Middle East Mangrove Knowledge Hub, a regional platform launched by the MENA Oceans Initiative by Goumbook in partnership with HSBC and The Mangrove Breakthrough and Advising Partner Wetlands International, aimed at supporting science-led restoration, knowledge exchange, and coordinated implementation frameworks across the Middle East.
In the coming months, the programme will focus on operationalising this collaborative framework – establishing the Regional Working Group, and preparing for a series of regional and in-country workshops later this year.
The Meeting served as an encouraging reminder of the growing commitment, and the collective efforts already underway, to move from momentum to measurable impact in scaling effective, coordinated mangrove conservation across the Middle East and beyond.
Read more about the Middle East Mangrove Knowledge Hub HERE
