Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany

Her Excellency Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany is a global leader of national and international efforts to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.

Currently serving as the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), where she supports the Agency’s efforts in fast-tracking a just and inclusive global energy transition.

In addition to her current role, Dr. Al-Hosany is also an active and prominent member of several key international, regional and local climate-focused boards and committees, including the COP28 UAE Advisory Committee, which convenes the expertise of climate and energy leaders from around the world; the American University of Sharjah (AUS) where she sits on the Board of Trustees; and as the Vice Chair for the Global Council of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany sits on the advisory council of National Geographic magazine, the advisory board of the Payne Institute in the Colorado School of Mines, and the advisory panel for the Momentum for Change initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Dr. Al-Hosany’s endless commitment to climate action is born from a lifelong commitment to public service and duty. She has built a portfolio of influence and reach through key roles in renewable energy, sustainability, and climate action including the Executive Director of Sustainability at Masdar, Abu Dhabi's leading international renewable energy entity. Between 2011 and 2018, held the post of Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, now known as the Zayed Sustainability Prize, where she remains an active jury member. Additionally, she held the role of Deputy Director General at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), formerly known as the Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA) from 2017 to 2018.

Dr. Al-Hosany’s professional achievements have been widely recognised. Most recently, Dr. Al-Hosany received the President’s Award from the Energy Institute, becoming the first woman from the Middle East to be bestowed with the prestigious honour. In July 2018, Dr. Al-Hosany was presented with the Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa from Keele University in the UK in recognition for her achievements in the field of sustainability. Dr Al-Hosany also received the Arab Woman Award and the Emirates Business Women Award.

Dr. Al-Hosany is also one of the first two Emirati women to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 meters above sea-level.

Dr. Al-Hosany’s personal and professional journey has taken her around the world, engaging with key climate and sustainability leaders from the Global South to the Global North, and where she has helped support and shape the global energy discourse.

Dr. Al-Hosany graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the UAE University in 1992 and attained her PhD from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom in 2002.