For her pioneering role, leadership and lifetime achievements in the field of environmental protection,

Dubai, 5 October 2023: Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), has been named as a recipient of an Arab Woman Award in the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ category by Arabian Business. 

The prestigious regional awards, now in their 14th year, celebrates, honours exceptional female individuals in various fields across 15 categories. 

Her Excellency was awarded the accolade at the award ceremony – which took place at Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Hotel in Dubai, for being an exceptional Arab woman who has demonstrated remarkable achievements, leadership, and dedication throughout her lifetime, leaving a lasting impact on the environmental field, and serving as an inspiration and role model for future generations.

During her career, Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Al Dhaheri, who has held the position of Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi since 2018, has greatly contributed to introducing innovative initiatives and solutions to protect the environment and preserve species, while confronting the risks of climate change. She has also supervised the implementation of several programmes related to biodiversity policies, monitoring, protected areas and natural reserves, threatened species and fisheries, including programmes for the resettlement of species at the national and global levels, which have served to strengthen the global environmental role of the UAE and Abu Dhabi.

Her Excellency's efforts also included supervising the development of a number of initiatives and legislation related to improving environmental quality by preserving groundwater, improving air quality, marine water quality, and soil in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. She has also supported investment and innovation in the environmental field, contributed to mitigating the effects of climate change, and developed a plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. These efforts include implementing the National Blue Carbon Project and developing innovative solutions for planting mangroves.

In addition she support the launching of programmes that aimed at changing community behaviour towards more sustainable practices by launching the Single-Use Plastics Policy to reach zero waste from single-use plastics – all of which have served to strengthen the global environmental role of the UAE and Abu Dhabi, which succeeded in shifting the Abu Dhabi community to using reusable bags quickly and significantly.

Her Excellency expressed her delight in being recognised by the Arab Woman Award board members saying: “I am grateful to Arabian Business for selecting me as the recipient of this distinguished award. This is very special, and I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to the nation’s leadership, which has empowered and supported me in the field of environmental protection. Their help has enhanced my passion and strong desire to preserve species inside and outside the UAE and fuelled my achievements. As well as the professional satisfaction I feel at being recognised, I am also delighted on a personal level that I have been honoured as someone that serves as an inspiration and a role model for future generations. As an Emirati, I am pleased that today’s youth in the UAE will take forward the lessons we at EAD are imparting to help them build a brighter future.”

The exclusive ceremony brought together over 300 c-suite executives, influential leaders and prominent personalities honouring exceptional individuals across 15 categories, recognising their outstanding contributions to their respective fields. Each category represents a diverse range of achievements, demonstrating the breadth and depth of talent among Arab women.

The Arabian Business Arab Woman Awards 2023 is a recognition programme that celebrates the outstanding achievements and contributions of women across the Arab world. This highly anticipated event is dedicated to honouring exceptional individuals and inspiring a new generation of women to strive for excellence in various fields.

As part of this event, for the first time ever, Arabian Business presented a cultural walkthrough that showcased the captivating stories and accomplishments of Arab women across the region.

Her Excellency is the first Emirati female to hold a PhD degree in the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife in UAE from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom. She also holds a master’s degree with distinction in Environmental Science from UAE University (UAEU), and another in Biological Conservation from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Species from UAEU.

She began her career at EAD as a Research Assistant in the Agency’s Terrestrial Environment Research Division in 2000 and was later appointed as Executive Director of the Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector in 2012, and since 2018 she has held the position of Secretary General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi. Dr. Al Dhaheri won the Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in Government Performance in 2015, and she is also an active member of many international organisations. In 2021, she was re-elected as a Regional Councillor to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Western Asia for the second time and she is also a member of the Advisory Board of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.