Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi served as the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s strategies for climate resilience, ecosystem protection, & sustainable development. During his tenure, he also chaired the UAE Council for Climate Change & Environment & the National Biosecurity Committee, leading impactful initiatives that strengthened the country’s environmental stewardship.

Maryam Telmesani has held key positions as Chief Sustainability Officer for several companies and is currently the Vice President of Sustainability at SAUDIA Group. She has participated in over 60 global sustainability events receiving numerous awards, including Top Inspirational Leaders of 2024, Women Icon of the Year 2023, Top 100 Influential CSR Leaders 2023, and Power 50 ESG Leaders 2022.

Majed Wafaallah is a sustainability leader with diverse experience in the energy, utilities, petrochemical & academia sectors. Currently, he is the Head of Sustainability at ACWA Power. Majed is responsible for leading the company’s sustainability strategy, integrating environmental, social & governance (ESG) practices into the company. Under his leadership, ACWA Power has made significant strides in achieving its sustainability goals.

Mohammed S. Al Surf is the Managing Director of Tilad Sustainability Co. and Tilad Institute, as well as the Founder of the Sustainability Professionals in Saudi Arabia Network (SPSA), which has grown to more than 15,000 members. He is recognized among the Top 100 Sustainability Voices in the Middle East (2024) and the 10 Most Dynamic Entrepreneurs Diversifying the Economy in Saudi Arabia (2024).

Manal Hassan currently serves as Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Elsewedy Electric and Vice Chairman of Elsewedy Electric Foundation. Since joining in 2017, she has led the company’s ESG strategy aligned with the UN Global Compact and Egypt Vision 2030. Manal’s efforts have earned her multiple recognitions, including the Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leader (2024), Top 100 Sustainability Leaders in MENA (2023–2024) and Egypt’s Top 50 Women in 2017 and 2018.

Mohamed Shelbaya is the Senior Vice President and General Manager ofMENA FOBO at PepsiCo, overseeing the company’s Franchise-Owned Bottling Operations across the Middle East and North Africa. With over 30years at PepsiCo, he has led franchise expansion, market growth, and operational improvements, strengthening the company’s competitive position across the region.

Prof. Mohammad Nurunnabi holds the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development, Green Skills & Climate Actions. He is the Director of Center for Sustainability & Climate (The first sustainability & climate think tank in Saudi Arabia), Prince Sultan University (PSU), Saudi Arabia. He is a global think tank leader on sustainability and climate with 18 years of experience. He is the Founder and President of Vision for Sustainable Africa (VSA), the only NGO bringing all 48 African countries together for Climate Actions

Alice Spencer is part of CISL’s Senior Leadership Team and the Executive Director of Education which encompasses three portfolios: a range of online courses, education programmes designed for corporate boards and executives and accredited postgraduate programmes including the Masters of Sustainability Leadership. Alice oversees the design and delivery of leadership education for 7,000-10,000 learners each year across the portfolio.

Omar Ghaly is the CEO & Founder of the Egyptian Carbon Center (ECC), leading initiatives in carbon credit development, sustainability reporting, and decarbonization across the region. Specialized in carbon markets, GRI-aligned reporting frameworks, and climate strategy implementation. He developed the largest nature-based carbon credit project in Egypt—a 14,000-acre jojoba plantation with an expected yield of over 2 million carbon credits over 25 years.

Dr. Orn Supaphol is the Chief Technical Officer at Saudi Desert Control, where she leads the development and deployment of innovative soil restoration technologies. She is pioneering the application of Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) technology to transform arid lands. She has been nominated for the V60 Award for Women Leading Climate and Sustainability and named among the 200 Global Power Women Leaders 2024. She bridges scientific expertise with practical applications to address pressing environmental challenges in MENA region

Alida Saleh is the Head of Sustainability for Middle East and Africa at JLL and is based in Dubai. She also serves as the Senior Advisor for the Climate Champions Team for COP28, 29 and 30.