Karim played an active role at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in #AbuDhabi as ambassador and commission member – the world’s largest gathering on nature conservation, with over 10,000 participants.
He spoke on topics including ecotourism, nature finance, coral restoration, natural capital valuation, nature connectivity, infrastructure for nature, and the energy-nature nexus. He also had the honor of moderating a final session with young #UAE leaders and #changemakers at the Youth Pavilion.
The key takeaways from the congress:
✅ 100 new institutional members joined the IUCN, including 6 countries
✅ First-ever IUCN Indigenous Peoples Summit in #AbuDhabi
✅ New regional players engaged at the Philanthropy Summit: Erth Zayed Philanthropies, Sawiris Foundation.
✅ Unprecedented #PrivateSector engagement — proving that nature is good for #business
✅ Strong #SustainableTourism presence — proud to contribute via the WCPA TAPAS Group (Tourism and Protected Areas Specialty Group)
✅ #Egypt and 3 other nations launched new IUCN National Committees – Mabrouk!
✅ A touching tribute to the late #JaneGoodall
✅ Members’ Assembly adopted 148 resolutions — a huge milestone
✅ Promising initiatives: including #Youth in IUCN governance and commissions
✅ Razan Al Mubarak re-elected as IUCN President — well deserved!
Karim moderated six panel discussions during the congress and was invited to speak in four sessions and roundtables.
He moderated the following sessions:
Central Stage: “Integrating Biodiversity into Industry: UAE Leadership in Action” with:
- Najeeba Aljabri, CSO – Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)
- Yousef Abbas, Director of Environment & Climate – AD Ports Group
Brazil Pavilion: Session in the lead up to COP30 about “Designing Infrastructure for Nature Connectivity in Protected Areas: Lessons from Global Cases,” with:
- Gary Tabor, CEO – Center for Large Landscape Conservation and Chair of the Connectivity Conservation Specialty Group under the IUCN WCPA
- Pedro Paes Lira, Co-Founder – Natureza Urbana
FAB (First Abu Dhabi Bank) Pavilion: Session on “Digital Tools & Data for Nature and Climate Action” with:
- Pippa Howard, Chief Nature Strategist – NatureMetrics,
- Daouda SARR, Head of Climate and Nature Risk – FAB
- Rumi Mahmood, Executive Director – MSCI Institute
Forum: Session on “Enablers of Ecotourism in Conservation Areas” with:
- Ahmed Bagader, General Manager of Investment & BD – KARNR
- Marina Antonopoulou, Chief Climate & Conservation Office – Emirates Nature-WWF
- Thiago Beraldo, Chair – IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group
- Ante Mandić, Vice-Chair – IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group
Youth Pavilion: Session with #UAE leaders and #changemakers with:
- Nouf Alqadi, PhD researcher in ecology and Youth Ambassador – The Climate Tribe
- Dr. Marwa Shalwani, Co-Founder – Climatify
- Majed Bin Saad, Founder – ATHR Project
- Abdulaziz Bin Redha, CEO & Co-Founder – Hyve Geo
- Sultan Barahim Zehi, Master’s student in environmental science and media expert
ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative)- SHAMS Pavilion: Session on “Reef Renaissance: Scaling Coral Restoration Through Innovation, Hospitality, and Urban Regeneration.” with:
- Sebastian Schmidt-Roach, Co-Founder – Ocean Revive
- Barbara Lang-Lenton, Director of Aquarium & Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project – Jumeirah
- Ryan Paik, CEO – HaejooX
Karim was also invited to speak at the following sessions:
Forum: session organized by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) about “Nature’s Value in the UAE: A Vision for a Nature-Positive Economy.”, with:
- Shaemma Mebwana, (Moderator), Climate Change Analyst – MOCCAE
- Obaid Alshamsi, Head of Marine Biodiversity – MOCCAE
- Mark Eigenraam, Director – IDEEA Group, CEO – Data4Nature
- David Ramos Álvarez, Senior Manager, Sustainability – MENAT – HSBC
- Ahmed SEFI , Project Manager – 4EI
- Daniel Mateos-Molina, Head of Marine Conservation – Emirates Nature-WWF
Brazil Pavilion: Session on the recently published IUCN issue paper that Karim co-authored with the WCPA TAPAS Group : “Strengthening Sustainable Tourism’s Role in Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience” with:
- Thiago Beraldo (Moderator), Chair – IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group
- Ante Mandić, Vice-Chair & Prof of Sustainable Tourism – IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group
- Julius Arnegger, Prof of Sustainable Tourism – Fachhochschule Westküste
- Liliana Medina Toro, SSC Communications Officer – IUCN SSC
- Lucía Prieto Fustes, Mediterranean Ecosystems Program – IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
- James Hardcastle, Nature Conservation Leader – IUCN
He also joined two roundtables during the congress, one on the energy-nature nexus and the other on regenerative coastal tourism.
Next nature milestones: #Armenia 2026 (Biodiversity COP17) & #Panama 2027 (IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress)
