When Laila Mostafa Abdullatif first joined Emirates Nature WWF in 2008, the environmental movement in the UAE was still in its infancy.
Now, 16 years later, she leads the organisation as director general, overseeing a mission that's grown from niche think tank into one of the region's most influential conservation actors. This year also marks a milestone: the organisation's 25th anniversary.
"It's incredible," Ms Abdullatif reflects in an exclusive interview with The National. "I've been here for 16 our of those 25 years. We've evolved so much – from research and policy to rolling up our sleeves and implementing projects on the ground."
Founded in 2001, Emirates Nature-WWF has become a crucial bridge between government, private sector, and civil society. It has mobilised more than 5,000 volunteers through citizen science initiatives, supported sustainable farming and fishing practices, and pioneered nature-based solutions that link ecological protection with economic opportunity.
"We've built trust with communities and institutions," said Ms Abdullatif. "That institutional knowledge-across a quarter of a century-means we're not just reacting, we're co-creating long-term change."
A post-Cop28 turning point
Much of that change, she explains, has accelerated since the UAE hosted Cop28 in 2023. It was, in her words, "a game changer".
"There was this push across all sectors- government, private sector, youth, academia. Climate and nature became embedded in the national agenda," Ms Abdullatif said. "It shifted the perception of biodiversity from being a soft issue to a strategic priority."
Ahead of Dubai hosting the international climate conference, at Cop27, Emirates Nature-WWF launched the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA), a platform designed to help organisations align with national Net Zero goals. One flagship project, dubbed Road 2.0, brings together government and commercial actors to accelerate the transition to zero-emission fleets across the country.
"It's bottom-up, consultative, and impact driven," she said. "We're not just about awareness – we're about real transition."
From mangroves to market: showcasing value
Yet, conservation in the UAE still faces challenges. One, Ms Abdullatif noted, is the need to demonstrate the economic value of preserving ecosystems – especially in arid landscapes often perceived as less biodiverse.
"If you don't show the added value of conservation, whether through ecosystem services or income streams-it's hard to sustain interest," she said.
To address this, Emirates Nature-WWF is scaling up nature-based solution, including climate-resilient crops like Salicornia, and eco-tourism initiative in coastal lagoons as well as across terrestrial ecosystems.
"The goal is to look at the development of eco-tourism master plans for key priority biodiversity hotspot areas, but also the development of business plans associated with those eco-tourism master plans and to drive investment into the area." she said.
These projects aim to generate revenue while restoring ecosystems, bringing local communities into the fold.
"These aren't just environmental wins," the WWF chief insisted. "They're economic solutions that make conservation tangible."
The NGO's work also extends to species protection. A decade-long marine turtle monitoring initiative, for instance, has mapped migratory routes and informed marine protected area strategies. "It's science feeding into policy," she said.
Conservation meets capital
Another frontier for the organisation is climate finance. Ms Abdullatif describes a persistent global gap between funding and action. That's where innovation comes in.
Emirates Nature-WWF has been developing blended finance models, including the Global Islamic Finance Impact Programme, which is in the pipeline to be launched in partnership with HSBC, WWF International, amongst others.
The goal is ambitious: to use Islamic finance to back climate and nature projects and global clean tech advancements.
"Some projects are bankable, some aren't," she said. "This fund will help bridge that gap and bring capital where it's most needed."
Local roots, global reach
Despite this international scope, Ms Abdullatif was quick to stress the organisation's heartbeat remained local.
"Everything starts here, on the ground," she said. "We're working with Emirati farmers on native crops, engaging with fisherman on sustainable practices, and connecting thousands of citizens with conservation through our Leaders of Change programme."
The dual lens-local implementation, global impact-has also seen Ms Abdullatif lead WWF's Asia Pacific operations, spanning more than 30 countries. One of her most meaningful projects involves a partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to address climate vulnerability in high risk nations like Fiji and the Philippines.
"These communities face increasing hazards-cyclones, saltwater intrusion, drought," she says. "We're integrating nature-based adaptation into disaster risk reduction. That's the future."
A field for the future
Looking ahead, Emirates Nature-WWF is focused on scaling impact, testing new models, and pushing the boundaries of innovation. But Ms Abdullatif's message to the next generation is perhaps the most powerful.
"You don't have to be a conservation scientist," she said. "This field needs communicators, engineers, financiers-people from all disciplines who want to make a difference."
Her advice to young Emirati's? "Protect what your forefathers depended on. Be bold. Be creative. And challenge yourself to do more."
