Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed congratulates new head of global conservation body

Razan Al Mubarak was elected as president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Photo: Donald Weber / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has congratulated Razan Al Mubarak after she was appointed president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"I am confident her historic appointment will have a lasting, positive impact on international efforts to address the world’s greatest environmental challenges," wrote Sheikh Mohamed.

Ms Al Mubarak was elected at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France, after a two-year international campaign.

The respected conservationist is managing director of both the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.

Congratulations to Razan Al Mubarak on her election as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. I am confident her historic appointment will have a lasting, positive impact on international efforts to address the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) September 9, 2021

Ms Al Mubarak is only the second woman elected to lead the organisation in its 72-year history and is the first president from the Arab region since 1978.

After starting her career in conservation in 2001, Ms Al Mubarak helped to establish Emirates Nature WWF, an non-governmental organisation associated with the World Wildlife Fund.

In 2010, Ms Al Mubarak became the youngest person to lead an Abu Dhabi government entity when she was named secretary general of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, where she serves on the board as managing director.

The agency, which has more than 1,000 employees, played an important role in successfully reintroducing the Arabian oryx in the UAE and the scimitar-horned oryx in Chad.

Updated: September 09, 2021, 7:47 AM