H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Minister of Climate Change and Environment

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi was appointed the Minister of Climate Change and Environment for the United Arab Emirates in February 2016. Previously, His Excellency served as a Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) from 2010 to 2017. He was also the Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2016.

Earlier, as Project Engineer at Masdar, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi worked to advance renewable energy technologies and solutions. During this time, he also played an instrumental role in the UAE’s successful 2009 bid to host IRENA, the first international organization dedicated to renewable energy. He started his career as Reservoir Engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO).

He heads the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment, the National Committee of Biosecurity, and the Emirates Committee for Sustainable Environment Research. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, the Audit and Selection Committees of the Zayed Sustainability Prize and the Board of Directors of the Global Green Growth Institute.

His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi holds a PhD in Project and Program Management from SKEMA Business School in France, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology in the US, an MSc in Project Management from the British University in Dubai and a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa in the US. In 2015, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi received the first Gulf Cooperation Council Excellence Award in recognition of his pioneering efforts in renewable energy.