(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been re-elected for a second term at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Al Mubarak is the first president from West Asia and the second woman to lead IUCN in its 77-year history.

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Al Mubarak's re-election was announced at the IUCN Members' Assembly, following a four-year term marked by strengthened governance, renewed trust, and the elevation of nature within global climate and biodiversity agendas. A majority of IUCN's more than 1,400 Member organisations, representing 160 countries, confirmed their confidence in Al Mubarak to continue leading the Union through this decisive decade for nature.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, shared a message congratulating her on her second term. He said he was "proud of the Emirati leadership in this global sector."

The world's oldest and largest global environmental network, IUCN is a democratic membership union that harnesses the world's most influential organisations and experts to conserve nature and accelerate a global transition to sustainable use of natural resources.

Composed of more than 19,000 conservation experts and 1,400 Member organisations, including States, government agencies, subnational goverments,NGOs, and Indigenous Peoples' organisations, IUCN is considered the global authority on the state of the natural world and the actions needed to safeguard the planet.

Her re-election comes as IUCN launches a new four-year Programme of Work - the final one before the global biodiversity, climate, and land restoration targets are due in 2030. Under Al Mubarak's leadership, the Union will work to deliver on its 20-year Vision, turning ambition into measurable outcomes and ensuring that IUCN continues to guide collective action for nature, climate, and people worldwide.

“Thanks to her passionate, innovative, and decisive leadership, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund has become a global model, showing that small but focused interventions on the ground can make a big difference in saving species. We know that she will continue to bring this same sense of commitment, creativity, and collaboration to IUCN as it sets the global agenda for this crucial decade for conservation,” said Mohamed Al Bowardi, Deputy Chairman of the MBZ Fund.

Al Mubarak said of her re-election as President of IUCN,“I am truly honoured to have been re-elected President of the IUCN, especially at a moment when nature, climate, and people must be brought together in action. Over the past four years, I have witnessed the extraordinary strength of our Union - our Members, Commissions, and partners - working together across boundaries and disciplines. I remain profoundly grateful for the support of the UAE leadership and its institutions, whose belief in conservation has inspired my own. This new mandate is both a privilege and a responsibility - to continue turning ambition into action for nature and for humanity.”

Al Mubarak began her career in conservation in 2001 when she helped to establish Emirates Nature – WWF, an NGO associated with the World Wide Fund for Nature. At Emirates Nature – WWF, she spearheaded initiatives to protect the UAE's coral, conducted research leading to the establishment of the country's first mountain national park, and created the framework to protect nesting and migrating sea turtles.

In 2010, Al Mubarak became the youngest person to lead an Abu Dhabi government entity with her appointment as Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), an organisation for which she now serves as Managing Director. In her role leading a government agency of over 1,000 employees, EAD was instrumental in the successful reintroductions of the Arabian Oryx in the UAE and the Scimitar-horned Oryx in Chad.

Al Mubarak has helped build the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Fund) into one of the world's largest philanthropic endowments supporting direct species conservation. Since its inception in 2009, the Fund has supported more than 3,100 projects worldwide, contributing to the rediscovery, reintroduction, and protection of over 1,900 species. Under her leadership, it has evolved from a small grants programme into a platform advancing broader conservation initiatives that link biodiversity, sustainability, and human well-being.

In addition to her national roles, Al Mubarak serves as UAE Sherpa to the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and Nature Champion at the World Economic Forum. She also previously served as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 UAE, where she played a key role in elevating nature's role in global climate action.

Al Mubarak holds an MSc in Public Understanding of Environmental Change from University College London (UCL) and a BA (Hons) in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University, USA. She also serves on the boards of Panthera, Re:wild, and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.

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