Razan Al Mubarak has been re-elected as President of IUCN, becoming the first West Asian and second woman to lead the global body.
ABU DHABI: Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak has been re-elected President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Abu Dhabi. Her re-election marks a historic milestone as she becomes the first person from West Asia and only the second woman to lead the organisation in its 77-year history.
Al Mubarak’s leadership was reaffirmed by the IUCN’s 1,400+ Member organisations from over 160 countries. Over the past four years, she has been credited with revitalising the Union’s governance and cementing its role in global climate and biodiversity discussions. Under her renewed mandate, she will guide the launch of IUCN’s new four-year Programme of Work as the organisation prepares to help meet global biodiversity and climate goals by 2030.
As President, she will lead the world’s largest environmental network, comprising 19,000 conservation experts and members ranging from governments to NGOs and Indigenous Peoples’ organisations. Mohamed Al Bowardi, Deputy Chairman of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, praised her leadership and innovative approach, calling her a “global model” for grassroots species protection.
Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, began her conservation career by co-founding Emirates Nature – WWF in 2001. She has led numerous successful environmental programmes, including reintroducing Arabian and Scimitar-horned Oryx and growing the MBZ Fund into a conservation powerhouse that has funded over 3,100 projects worldwide.
Upon her re-election, Al Mubarak said, “This new mandate is both a privilege and a responsibility — to continue turning ambition into action for nature and for humanity.” She also credited the UAE’s leadership and conservation vision as a driving force behind her mission.
In her international roles, she has served as UAE Sherpa for the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, Nature Champion at the World Economic Forum, and previously, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 UAE. Al Mubarak holds degrees from Tufts University and University College London, and serves on the boards of Panthera, Re:wild, and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.
