MENA Oceans Summit 2026, 4th Edition
Following on from an important ocean-centric year in 2025, where regional priorities from MENA were centrally embedded within global ocean dialogues including the 3rd UN Ocean Conference and the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the 4th edition of the MENA Oceans Summit carries forth this momentum and builds on its outcomes.
This year, the Summit convenes policy makers, scientists and academia, blue economy leaders and community organisations across diverse formats, including high level plenaries, focussed thematic deep dive discussions, and comprehensive awareness sessions, to:
- review emerging insights from ongoing regional programmes;
- discuss progress on ratification of important global treaties;
- evaluate applicability of the Middle East Ocean Action Agenda, in the context of developing Sustainable Ocean Plans at country and sub-regional levels, and
- expand possibilities for enabling the youth and community as ocean stewards.
Streams of Engagement
Engagement
Blue Economy
Billions of people depend on healthy oceans for their livelihoods, food security, health, and recreation. Under the Blue Economy stream, the focus lies on developing sustainable pathways for integrated development of sustainable ocean sectors, while prioritizing ocean health and marine resources management. This includes innovative Blue Finance schemes and strategies for mitigating the effects of unsustainable practices.
Engagement
Blue Governance
Policy and marine governance play a key role in fostering accountability amongst countries to ensure successful multilateral partnerships. This stream brings together leaders to discuss strengthening governance for an ocean conservation plan within and beyond national jurisdictions; promoting and facilitating joint scientific research; and establishing strict frameworks for blue economies.
Engagement
Blue Science
Advancing research and scientific innovations helps tackle the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on marine and coastal ecosystems. Under the Research and Science stream we discuss key challenges like biodiversity loss, climate change, ocean plastic pollution, dead zones, and food insecurity as well as the outcomes of evidence-based innovative projects to address them.
Engagement
Blue Collective
Engaging youth and communities through impact-driven awareness and educational sessions will prompt collective clean ocean action for ocean health. Take part in a curated masterclass, expand your knowledge by attending a Climate Fresk workshop – a gamified way to uncover the challenges, interlinkages, and solutions related to climate change -, or join us for a movie screening and a fireside chat with an inspiring clean oceans advocate!
MENA Oceans Summit: Convening for Impact
The MENA Oceans Summit is the Initiative’s flagship convening, a key regional platform for advancing dialogue and fostering dynamic partnerships to deliver transformative solutions for ocean and coastal resilience, sustainable blue economy pathways, and transboundary governance.
Since its inception in 2023, the Summit has helped shape the long-term agenda for regional collaboration by:
- bridging silos and convening diverse ocean-linked stakeholders from across the region, including policymakers, industry leaders and financiers, research and academia, youth and community;
- laying the foundations of the MENA Oceans Network, thereby catalysing continued strategic engagement through thematic working groups;
- amplifying regional representation on global platforms, including COP28, COP29, and the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3);
- initiating targeted programmes focused on developing regionally relevant ecosystem and sector specific mobilisation roadmaps and insight papers
- launching the first regional outlook review through the Regenerative Blue Economies for Coastal Resilience Programme
Impact in Numbers:
MENA Oceans Summit 2025 Agenda
MENA High Level Regional Consultation: Governance & Policy
This high-level consultation will convene senior representatives from regional government and policymaking bodies and inter-governmental organisations from across the region, to explore collaborative mechanisms and thematic priorities that can support and guide national and regional efforts towards sustainable ocean management across our shared seas
- Date: 8th October
- Time: 15:00 - 17:30
The Regenerative Fisheries Majilis - UAE Edit
The first in a regional series, this Deepdive will spotlight traditional fishers, indigenous coastal communities, & government and industry stakeholders to help embed local knowledge, perspectives, & lived experience into blue food policy and governance.
It will honour maritime heritage & the insights of those directly stewarding marine ecosystems, whose daily practices & generational wisdom are vital to shaping a sustainable, inclusive aquatic food future for the MENA region.
- Date: 9th October
- Time: 14:00 - 15:30
MENA Marine Protected Areas
This Deep Dive Session, convened in partnership with the IUCN World Commission for Protected Areas (WCPA) will enable pathways towards effective marine protected area design, management, and monitoring for the MENA region.
- Date: 9th October
- Time: 16:00 - 17:30
From decarbonisation to ocean health and biodiversity conservation in the maritime sector
Drawing on the Maritime Decarbonisation to Ocean Health and Biodiversity Roadmap developed by the Initiative in partnership with The UN Climate High Level Champions Team, the UN Foundation and the Sustainable Shipping Initiative. It aims to engage leading stakeholders from the maritime and shipping value chain on sectoral advances and priorities towards the promotion of a climate-smart, sustainable ocean-transport economy.
- Date: 10th October
- Time: 10:30 - 11:30
MENA Desalination & Water Management Working Group
The Desalination and Water Management sector, a fast-expanding pillar of the MENA blue economy, will be the focus of this Deepdive. Regional experts will explore pathways to embed ocean sustainability across the sector value chain. The session will link sector decarbonisation to improved outcomes for marine health and biodiversity.
- Date: 10th October
- Time: 14:00 - 15:30
Deep Dive Session: MENA Regenerative Coastal Tourism Working Group
Engaging the hospitality sector & allied marine & coastal tourism industries to initiate the formation of a Regional Working Group tasked with co-developing Regenerative Ocean Health Protocols.
Framed with a view to informing regional policy processes, the session will lay the groundwork for establishing technical standards & best practices that advance climate-resilient, ecosystem-based management across coastal & island destinations.
- Date: 10th October
- Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Accelerating regional collaboration across the Arabian Sea, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea & the Mediterranean Sea
This high-level panel will initiate a partnership framework led by the MENA Oceans Initiative in collaboration with IUCN’s ROWA, Mediterranean, and WCPA programmes to accelerate regional cooperation across the Arabian Sea, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, and Mediterranean. The session will explore pathways to unlock scientific advances and mobilise effective ocean governance for transformative conservation outcomes.
- Date: 10th October
- Time: 18:15 - 19:00
Deep Dive Session: Mobilising the Ocean Breakthroughs through ecosystem connectivity in the MENA region
This Deepdive will align with the Mangrove, Seagrass, and Coral Breakthroughs to spotlight ambitious regional initiatives advancing ecosystem conservation and resilience. Framing a shared roadmap to COP30 and beyond, the session will surface synergies, progress, and strategic opportunities to accelerate nature-positive outcomes across the MENA region.
- Date: 11th October
- Time: 14:00 - 15:30
Previous Speakers
H.E. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak
Minister of Climate Change and Environment
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
H.E. Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri
Secretary General, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, IUCN Councillor for Western Asia and
Vice Chair of the Global Council on SDG14
H.E. Sheikh Fahim Sultan al Qasimi
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Seafood Souq
H.R.H . Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Salman Alsaud
Chairman
Saudi Arabian Water Sports & Diving Federation
H.E. Hiba Al Shehhi
Assistant Undersecretary for Biodiversity and Marine
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
H.E. Ahmed Esmaeil Alsayed Alhashmi
Executive Director of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity (TMBS)
Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi
Laila Mostafa Abdullatif
Director General of Emirates Nature
WWF
Tatiana Antonelli Abella
Founder and Managing Director
Goumbook
Ashok Adicéam
Managing Director
Neptune Mission, Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs, Republic of France
Dr Tundi Agardy
Executive Director
Sound Seas
Ismail Alaoui
Principal - Global Water Team
Roland Berger
Hamdah Alaslai
Head of Marine Life Section
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
Dr Nedal M. Alouran
Commissioner For Environment and Public Safety
Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)
Lubna Al Ameri
Lead - ADNOC Biodiversity Strategy Programs
ADNOC
Marina Antonopoulou
Chief Nature Conservation Officer
WWF
Mohammed Asfour
Partner
Asfour Investment & Management
Chris Gorell Barnes
Founding Partner
Ocean 14 Capital
Anuradha Bhattacharya
Director of MENA Oceans Initiative
Goumbook
Ayla Bajwa
Group Senior Vice President – Sustainability
DP World
Eng. Natalia Boulad
Programme Manager, Biodiversity & Protected Areas
IUCN ROYWA
Filippo Carli
Senior Projects’ Coordinator
IUCN ROWA
Prof. Ameer A. Eweida
Executive Steering Committee Member
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
Prof Sergey Dobretsov
Professor at Sultan Qaboos University
UNESCO Chair in Marine Biotechnology at Sultan Qaboos University
Siham Fellahi
Blue Cconomy Program Implementation Unit Coordinator
Ministry of Economic and Finance
Dr Maryam Ficociello
Group Chief Governance Officer
Red Sea Global
Lyle Glowka
Principal
Biodiversity Strategies International
Dr. Radhoune ben Hamadou
Director- Research and Policy Development
Earthna
Carl Gustaf Lundin
Advisor
MSC Foundation
Maher Mahjoub
Regional Director
IUCN MED
Prof Nathalie Martial-Braz
Vice Chancellor
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
Dr Manal Nader
Associate Professor and Director
Institute of the Environment, University of Balamand
Ahmed Mukhtar
Representative of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to United Arab Emirates
Lisa Outtier
Chief Sustainability Officer IMEA
CMA CGM Group
Daniela Picco
Executive Director
MSC Foundation
Loreley Picourt
Executive Director
Ocean & Climate Platform
David Ramos
Senior Manager, Sustainability - MENAT
HSBC
Juan Antonio Romero
Senior Executive Adviser on Environment, Conservation and Research of the Dubai Reef Project
Department of Economy and Tourism Dubai
Thomas Sberna
Ocean Lead
UN Climate High Level Champions Team
Dr Hany El Shaer
Regional Director
IUCN ROWA
Obaid Ali Humaid Al Shamsi
Head of Marine Biodiversity Section
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
Sarah Shaw
CEO
National CSR Fund (Majra)
Dr Taila Sherrard
Head of Commercial and Strategy
Acteon
Dr Corrado Sommariva
Founder and CEO
Sustainable Water Power Consultants
Prof Martin Visbeck
Chief Executive Officer
OceanQuest
Dr Heidi Weiskel
Acting Head - Global Ocean Team
IUCN
Who will attend
- Global development, intergovernmental organisations, ocean governance experts
- Industry leaders from the blue economy (maritime and shipping, tourism, aquaculture, construction, marine sports, desalination, coastal development, coastal tourism and more)
- Government, regulators and policy makers
- Research and academia
- NGOs, civil society and media
- Technology and innovation fore-runners in ocean science
Download insight papers from MENA Oceans Summit 2024
Insights & News
Advancing Regional Collaboration on Mangrove Conservation at the ADSW
As part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the MENA Oceans Initiative by Goumbook, in...
Partner Impact Spotlight: Chalhoub Group – Coral Reef Restoration
Through Sea Through, a campaign by Goumbook focused on marine conservation, we work with committed...
Blue Economies for Coastal Resilience (BEFCR) Programme Launches at Regional Workshop in Doha, Qatar
Launched at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) Monaco, a Special Event preceding the...
