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Sustainability Leaders Summit – 4th Edition, 19-20 October 2026

Sustainability Leaders Summit – 4th Edition | Abu Dhabi

Registration open

Date
19-20 October 2026
Venue
ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Format
In person event
Doors
Registration and networking from 09:30

Overview

Overview

Date
19-20 October 2026
Venue
ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Format
In person event
Doors
Registration and networking from 09:30

The Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders Summit returns under the theme of Resilience for a Sustainable Future and is held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. Now in its fourth edition, the two-day event will examine how governments, businesses and institutions can strengthen their ability to anticipate change, navigate disruption and build the capabilities required for sustainable, long-term growth.

The event brings together leaders from government, business, investment, academia, and the next generation to examine how economies, institutions, and organizations can build the resilience needed to secure long-term prosperity.

In an era of technological disruption, climate pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, and rapidly evolving industries, resilience has become an economic and leadership imperative. The summit will explore how leaders can anticipate and adapt to change, strengthen institutional and organizational capability, secure critical resources, accelerate innovation, develop future industries, and invest in the people and systems that will underpin sustainable growth.

Through high-level leadership dialogues, ministerial conversations, executive exchanges, interactive discussions, and global case studies, delegates will examine the decisions shaping the future: from energy and infrastructure resilience to AI and emerging technologies, investment, natural capital, research commercialization, leadership development, and workforce readiness.

Hosted in Abu Dhabi, a global center for sustainable development, innovation, and long-term economic transformation, the summit will provide a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and practical leadership. Bringing together established and emerging leaders, it will move the conversation beyond responding to disruption to ask a more important question: how do we build economies, institutions, businesses, and communities that are equipped to thrive through change while creating lasting value for future generations?

On the agenda

Themes

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Theme 1

Global Leadership & Strategic Governance

Strategic Focus: Equipping leaders to navigate geopolitical shifts, economic volatility, and regulatory evolution while strengthening governance frameworks and decision-making at the highest levels.

Core Themes:

  • Adaptive leadership in a changing global environment
  • Corporate governance and board-level decision-making
  • Risk management and organizational resilience
  • Institutional accountability and ethical leadership
  • Strategic finance and sustainable long-term value creation
Theme 2

AI, Digital Innovation & Future Economies

Strategic Focus: Enabling executives to lead digital transformation, leverage AI, and design future-ready business models.

Core Themes:

  • AI strategy and responsible adoption
  • Digital transformation and innovation leadership
  • Global entrepreneurship ecosystems
  • Market disruption and future business models
  • Emerging technologies and business transformation
Theme 3

Impact, ESG & Sustainability Leadership

Strategic Focus: Positioning sustainability as a core leadership responsibility and embedding ESG into executive decision-making.

Core Themes:

  • Driving sustainability and ESG strategies
  • Public-private collaboration for impact
  • Ethical governance and accountability
  • Climate-smart strategies and resilience
  • Crisis leadership and agile decision-making
Theme 4

Stewardship

Strategic Focus: Positioning stewardship as the defining responsibility of modern leadership: creating long-term value by balancing economic growth, environmental responsibility, social progress, and resilient governance.

Core Themes:

  • Leading with purpose, responsibility, and integrity
  • Long-term value creation over short-term gains
  • Responsible governance and executive accountability
  • Building resilient organisations, economies, and communities
  • Strengthening trust through transparency and stakeholder engagement

On stage

Speakers

Workshop Hosts

Workshop Hosts

Art For Change

Art For Change

Agenda · 19-20 October 2026

Sustainability Leaders Summit

Registration & Networking

Break

Opening Remarks by Forbes Middle East

Sally Mousa — Senior Presenter, Forbes Middle East

Address

National Anthem

Sally Mousa — Senior Presenter, Forbes Middle East

Ceremony

Light Show & Opening Video

Welcome Address

Welcome from Forbes Middle East, introducing the Summit’s focus on building stronger foundations and driving sustainable growth.

Khuloud Al Omian — CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Middle East

Address

Ministerial Address

H.E. Dr. Amna Al Dahak — UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment

Interactive Q&A with H.E. Dr. Amna Al Dahak — UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment

A leadership perspective on environmental stewardship with long-term prosperity and the responsibilities shared by the people of the UAE as she answers the questions of students representing the next generation. H.E. Dr. Amna Al Dahak — UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment

Audience Poll

An opportunity for delegates to engage directly with the themes emerging from the opening conversation.

Stephen White — Senior Conference Manager, Forbes Middle East

Leadership Conversation: Building National Capability Through Research and Innovation

A conversation on the role of universities, research partnerships and commercialization in developing the capabilities needed for future industries.

H.E. Dr. Ebrahim Alhajri — President, Khalifa University

Moderator: Sally Mousa — Senior Presenter, Forbes Middle East

Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders Awards

Awards presentation Honored by:

Khuloud Al Omian — CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Middle East

Leadership Dialogue: The Abu Dhabi Model – Building an Economy That Endures

How Abu Dhabi is linking industrial development, infrastructure and advanced services to build a diversified and enduring economy.

Captain Saif Al Mheiri — CEO, Abu Dhabi Maritime

Hugo Losada — CEO, Emirates Cement, EMSTEEL Group

Moderator: Jayda Shoukry — Content Producer, Forbes Middle East

Panel

Executive Exchange: Energy Security Is Economic Security

Energy security is increasingly inseparable from economic competitiveness. This exchange examines reliable supply, investment and the practical path to cleaner energy systems.

Hussein Shoukry — President – MEA, Siemens Energy

Ahmed Baghoum — CEO, Masdar City

Moderator: Jeremy Crane — Group CEO, Yellow Door Energy

Institutional Resilience: Creating Organizations That Endure

How organizations can strengthen governance, talent and operational readiness to manage disruption while sustaining performance.

H.E. Mohammed Al Nuaimi — Undersecretary, MOCCAE

Khaled Bin Braik — Senior Partner, PwC Middle East

Alice Cowman — CEO, Enerwhere

Moderator: Ismail Tekin — CEO, World Impact Forum

Panel

Building a Future That Includes Everyone

An address on inclusive development and the importance of accessibility and opportunity in building a stronger society.

H.E. Abdulla Al Humaidan — Acting Director General, Zayed Authority for People of Determination

Address

Networking Lunch

Break

Audience Poll

Delegates return for the afternoon program with a short interactive audience session.

Stephen White — Senior Conference Manager, Forbes Middle East

Environmental Policy, Compliance and Community Impact (Arabic Session)

An Arabic-language discussion on translating environmental priorities into effective regulation, public engagement and practical outcomes.

H.E. Marwan Al Zaabi — Assistant Undersecretary, MOCCAE

Moderator: Budour Mousa — Presenter, Forbes Middle East

Boardroom Exchange: The Boardrooms Built for Tomorrow

How boards can turn sustainability and long-term risk into stronger oversight, investment decisions and business performance.

Reg Athwal — Founder, TAO Legacy Holdings & Verchool Platforms

Pooja Rai — CEO, TAO Legacy Holdings

Ali Zein — Advisory Board Member, University of Oxford Smith School

Moderator: Layan Abo Shkier — Editor & Researcher, Forbes Middle East

Investment Challenge: The Stewardship of Capital – Investing for Long-Term Value

Where capital can create durable commercial and environmental value, and how investors evaluate long-term returns alongside measurable impact.

Khaled Bin Braik — Senior Partner, PwC Middle East

Ismail Tekin — CEO, World Impact Forum

Moderator: Layan Abo Shkier — Editor & Researcher, Forbes Middle East

Resilience Exchange: Engineering Infrastructure for an Uncertain Future

Practical approaches to making essential infrastructure more adaptable, investable and resilient to climate and operational pressures.

Mohamed Al Sele — Vice President, Strategy and PMO, Tabreed

Daxita Rajcoomar — Chief Sustainability Officer, EMEA, ENGIE

Panel

Mobility Exchange: Accelerating the Transition to Sustainable Transport

What it will take to accelerate electric mobility through vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure and coordinated transport investment.

Roberto Colucci — Head of EV, AW Rostamani Group

Abdulaziz Alshamsi — Founder and CEO, VCharge

Moderator: Stephen White — Senior Conference Manager, Forbes Middle East

  • Athmane BenzerrougChief Strategy, Transformation and Sustainability Officer

Closing Leadership Dialogue: Rethinking Real Estate for a Changing World

A leadership perspective on adapting real estate strategy, investment and development to changing expectations and long-term market needs.

Lady Eve Laws — Chairwoman, Maison IG

Moderator: Sally Mousa — Senior Presenter, Forbes Middle East

The Implementation Gap: Turning Sustainability Ambition Into Action

Why sustainability commitments often stall during execution, and how businesses can close the gap through accountability, measurement and operational change.

Khurram Majeed — EVP, MEC&A, Bureau Veritas Group

Nazly Asadollahpour — Vice President – Sustainability, Majid Al Futtaim

H.E. Dr. Alanoud Al Haj — Assistant Undersecretary, MOCCAE

Moderator: Antonios Vouloudis — Senior Director, Sustainability and Stewardship, NYU Abu Dhabi

Moderators

Moderators

Agenda · 19-20 October 2026

Workshop Agenda

Workshop 1: From Climate Challenge to Climate Action: Building Resilient Industries

This 30-minute interactive workshop will take participants from climate science to industrial action through a live quiz, a mini–Climate Fresk card activity, and a decarbonisation challenge. Participants will work together to connect climate causes and impacts, prioritise key solutions for hard-to-abate industries, and then see how EMSTEEL is putting these solutions into practice. The session will conclude with a final live poll and a prize for the top quiz participant.

Manal Al Badawi - ESG & Sustainability Manager, EMSTEEL

Workshop 2: To Make Sustainability a Lifestyle

Sustainability is not a strategy. It’s a lifestyle. Organisations become resilient when sustainability is lived through everyday decisions rather than treated as a project.

  • Nihad YounisCo-Founder and Managing Partner, Estadeem Consultancy & Estadeem Properties

Workshop 3: Zero-Waste Manufacturing and Sustainable Materials

Discover how large-scale 3D printing is transforming traditional manufacturing through sustainable materials and reduced waste. Dominic will share how Generation 3D uses recycled plastics and advanced 3D printing technology to create functional products, furniture, and architectural elements, demonstrating how circular manufacturing can work in real-world applications.

  • Dominic WrightCo-Founder and CEO, Generation 3D

Workshop 4: Make Your Own LEGO Flower

Make Your Own LEGO Flower is a creative and hands-on workshop by The Blume Club, where participants will build their own LEGO flower and place it alongside a live potted plant. The experience brings together creativity and nature, while giving each participant a unique piece to take home and enjoy.

Hanan Talal, Founder & Creative Director, The Blume Club

  • Mahra Al MarzouqiPartner & Workshop Facilitator, The Blume Club
  • Hanan TalalFounder & Creative Director, The Blume Club

Getting there

ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, part of ADNEC Group, is a multi-award winning venue offering organisers of exhibitions, conferences, and events outstanding facilities spread over a total space of 153,678 square metres. This includes versatile spaces suitable for medium to large scale conferences of up to 6,000 people, 13 exhibition halls, a stunning banqueting facility, in addition to ‘The Hive’, an award-winning innovative meeting space and engaging environment, as well as outdoor space which includes a grandstand and an impressive Marina, featuring the 10,000sqm Marina Hall.

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ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE

From previous editions

Previous speakers