Associate Fellows

Our Associate Fellows

Dr. Iyad Abumoghli is a distinguished diplomat and engineer with over 40 years of experience advancing international environmental policy, including more than three decades in senior leadership roles within the United Nations.

His work has focused on bridging climate science, public policy, and values-based engagement to advance more inclusive and effective approaches to environmental governance.

As the founder and chair of Al-Mizan and the architect of UNEP’s Faith for Earth Coalition, Dr. Abumoghli has played a leading role in integrating ethical and faith-based perspectives into global climate and sustainability efforts. Through this work, he has helped translate complex environmental challenges into policy-relevant frameworks that engage a wide range of societal actors.

Throughout his career, Dr. Abumoghli has held senior regional and global positions, including Regional Director for UNEP in West Asia and Global Practice Manager at UNDP in New York, where he contributed to shaping environmental and sustainable development agendas across diverse political and institutional contexts.

He currently serves on the Higher Council for Science and Technology and on the Strategic Advisory Councils of the United Religions Initiative and Bread for the World. His work continues to focus on addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, with particular attention to equity, governance, and the needs of vulnerable communities.

Ms. Majdalani is a senior climate and natural resources expert with extensive experience advancing food systems transformation and sustainable development across the Arab region. Her work focuses on integrated management of water, energy, and food security, collaboration with public and private sector institutions, and support for intergovernmental processes aimed at region-specific development goals.

She currently serves as Senior Climate Advisor at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Drylands (ICARDA), a role she assumed in January 2022, where she supports the alignment of institutional programs with climate and sustainable development agendas. Previously, she was the Director of the Arab Center for Climate Change Policies and the Cluster Leader for Natural Resource Sustainability at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA).

Ms. Majdalani holds an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning from Syracuse University. She has served on several international research and development boards, including the International Center on Biosaline Agriculture and the Stockholm International Water Award, and is currently a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership.

Faisal Ali Al Rashid is a senior energy executive with extensive experience in energy demand management, large-scale project delivery, and decarbonization initiatives across the UAE. His work spans public-sector energy strategy and major industrial projects, with a strong focus on efficiency and net-zero implementation.

He currently serves as Senior Director of the Demand Side Management (DSM) Directorate at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, where he oversees energy demand management programs across Dubai. Since the inception of the Dubai DSM program, he has played a central role in its development and implementation. He also chairs the Advancing Net Zero Volunteering Team, supporting efforts to accelerate decarbonization in UAE cities.

Before his work in energy policy and demand-side management, he accumulated 16 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, leading multiple major EPC projects and delivering large-scale initiatives.

He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio University and maintains Project Management Professional (PMP) credentials, as well as an accredited policy-making certification.