




MENA Oceans Summit - 3, September 2025, UAE
About The Summit
MENA Oceans Summit is the flagship convening under the MENA Oceans Initiative, dedicated to accelerating the pace of comprehensive ocean action to restore ocean ecosystems, tackle climate change and ensure sustainable development of blue economies through a collaborative, cross-sectoral framework. The Summit engages under four key streams – Blue Economy, Blue Governance, Blue Science and Blue Collective.
The inaugural MENA Oceans Summit in 2023, held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in Dubai, UAE, hosted over 550 people from different stakeholder groups including policy makers, private sector, academia and researchers, community organizations and NGOs.
In 2024, the MENA Oceans Summit evolved to greater regional representation and 3 deep dives, developing the foundations for thematic working groups and the kick off of the MENA Oceans Network.
Summit Key Pillars
Previous Speakers

HE Razan Al Mubarak
UN Climate Change High Level Champion, COP28
IUCN President

HE Marwan Abdulla Alzaabi
Assistant Undersecretary, Regions Sector
UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

HE Ahmed Esmaeil Alsayed Alhashmi
Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Sector
Environment Agency Abu Dhabi

HE Ambassador Nicolas Niemtchinow
Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE

Ignace Beguin Billecocq
Exective Director
Mangrove Breakthrough, Ambition Loop

Dr. Ahmed Al Ansari
Advisor, Environmental Protection and Regeneration
Red Sea Global

John Burt
Associate Professor, Head of Environmental Studies; Co-director, Mubadala ACCESS Center
NYUAD

Farid Al Awlaqi
Chief Executive Officer
Generation, TAQA

Ayla Bajwa
VP – Group Sustainability
DP World

Dr Reem Al Mealla
Founder
Nuwat for Environmental Research & Education

Prof. Mahmoud Hanafy
Scientific Consultant
HEPCA
