Delivering a Regional Ocean Action Agenda
The MENA Oceans Summit 2025 was convened by Goumbook under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in partnership with Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Embedded within the official programme of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, the Summit elevated the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s ocean and coastal priorities at the foremost global forum on nature conservation and climate resilience.
In its third edition, the Summit programme engaged more than 300 leading experts, practitioners, and decision-makers from across more than 20 countries to advance critical thematic interventions for the sustainable management of our oceans and blue economies.
Taking forward the outcomes of UNOC3, discussions focussed on mobilising policy, science, finance and partnerships through defining tangible pathways, identifying enabling conditions, and aligning regional efforts with global conservation and climate goals.
The MENA Ocean Action Agenda: A Blueprint for Regional Transformation
The MENA Ocean Action Agenda served as a strategic anchor across the convening. Distilled from more than two years of wide-ranging, in-depth consultations and outreach with key stakeholders by the MENA Oceans Initiative, this blueprint presents a comprehensive roadmap for regional transformation.
Across the core pillars of Blue Governance, Blue Science, Blue Economy, and Blue Finance, it sets out 38 near- and long-term priorities to identify key indicators, bridge systemic gaps, align diverse stakeholders and mobilise resources to unlock regional collaboration across the Middle East and North Africa, anchored in shared priorities for ocean resilience and regenerative blue economies.
Convening for Impact: Key Sessions and Emerging Directions
The Agenda was launched at the first High Level Regional Consultation: Governance and Policy, where senior representatives from regional government, policy, and intergovernmental bodies came together to identify collective priorities and collaborative mechanisms to enable transboundary cooperation and strengthen coordinated national and regional ocean management in one of the world’s most strategically significant maritime regions.
The Summit’s Panel Discussions and Deep Dive Sessions were strategically aligned with regional priorities, translating ambition into frameworks for collaboration. These sessions focussed on identifying shared needs, consolidating existing knowledge and expertise, and defining the foundations for the Initiative’s collaborative programmes of work over the coming months.
Across critical thematic areas — including fisheries, marine protected areas, desalination and water management, maritime decarbonisation, regenerative coastal tourism, and ecosystem connectivity — participants identified workstreams, designated points of coordination, and began mapping the architecture of ongoing cooperation.
We are deeply grateful to our Patrons, Advisory Board, Strategic Partners, and Network Members, whose contributions have shaped the success of this shared endeavour. We look forward to now building the collaborative platforms and programmes that will carry the momentum of these formative dialogues forward to deliver measurable, lasting impact for ocean and coastal resilience across the Middle East and North Africa.
Read the detailed Summary and Strategic Takeaways from the MENA Oceans Summit 2025 here.