Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 9–15 October 2025
The Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) attended the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, the world’s foremost international event focused on nature conservation, inaugurated under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and opened by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
The Congress, bringing together more than 10,000 attendees including government officials, civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, academia, and business leaders, provides a global platform to advance the Global Biodiversity Framework and set the conservation agenda for decades to come.
CEDARE’s technical delegation, led by Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Executive Director and Former Egyptian Minister of Environment, attended two high-level sessions:
Advancing 30by30 in the ROWA Region: Aligning Regional Action with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
Marine Conservation in the Gulf of Aqaba: West Asia Example and Potential Catalyst for Regional Collaboration
The sessions featured distinguished panel members, including:
• H.E. Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and وزارة البيئة المصرية – Ministry of EnvironmentActing Minister of Environment, Egypt
• H.E. Dr. Ayman Suleiman, Minister of Environment, Jordan
• H.E. Dr. Nizar Hani, Minister of Agriculture, Lebanon
• H.E. Dr. Mohammed Ali B. Qurban, CEO, National Center for Wildlife, Saudi Arabia
• Eng. Natalia Boulad, Programme Manager – Biodiversity & Protected Areas, IUCN Secretariat
The sessions were moderated by Dr. Hany El Shaer, Regional Director, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia.
During the discussions, Dr. Khaled Fahmy highlighted CEDARE’s readiness to share its extensive experience and technical expertise to enhance member states’ capacities in environmental governance, institutional development, and regional cooperation in biodiversity conservation.
In addition, Dr. Khaled Fahmy had an aside discussion with Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Ali, President of the Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan, to explore potential areas of collaboration.
By participating in the IUCN Congress – alongside global conservation leaders such as Dr Sylvia Earle, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Dr Grethel Aguilar, and other heads of state and ministers – CEDARE reinforces its commitment to advancing nature-based solutions and regional partnerships for a sustainable Arab region.
