Before I was born, and during my childhood, my family struggled in a challenging desert environment with fewer resources than today.  I lived in moderation under my parents’ guidance. My father told me, “If you want to be happy, don’t wait for me to give you wealth. Instead, reduce your desires!”



I chose to learn the hard way and sharpened my skills through many challenges early in my career. I gained experience through my military experience and my work in oil and gas fields and petrochemical industries. I learned to live well with little.



Another major impact on my sustainable lifestyle choices is the religious belief to live in moderation and without excess. God says in the Qur’an "….and eat and drink but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people." My faith is a driving force behind my beliefs in sustainability and collective ownership because nature is Allah’s creation and a sacred space. He tells us this planet is a trust, and we are its stewards, which is a role we must fulfill.



By the age of 24, I was quite conscious about environmental impact. After witnessing environmental destruction both locally and globally, and I had transformed my life to become an environmental protector. I continued my environmental stewardship through more education and more actions, through participation in NGOs and government.

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One unique aspect of my journey to spread my green message was that I concentrated on a grassroots approach.



I like to break down barriers and reach out to the younger generation,  to raise awareness of environmental and sustainability issues, and to encourage a general sense of environmental stewardship. I put my studies and influence to practical use, joining many environmental groups, speaking at numerous universities and events, and engaging with local regional and international media to promote dozens of environmental causes. The role of youth in promoting leadership is not just empowering their communities but also using their talent and innovation to solve their local and global challenges, environmental concerns, and enhance cross-cultural interactions.



As an example, water and energy are major concerns in the United Arab Emirates and the region. Many movements were created to call everyone to take action against climate change, and groups measured by how much we saved -- in one hour or one day or during our whole lives -- and it is measured by how many people are calling for action. This includes sustainability camps, workshops and discussion on building ideas and action plans from grassroots campaigns and bottom-top influence, which mobilizes sustainability movement by a common call for action. I believe those movements tapped into young people’s potential, focusing on youth who have the time, enthusiasm and energy to effect positive change if given the platform to plan, organize and lead.



Youth are most ambitious people in society and currently represent more than 60% of the region’s population; the average age in the Middle East is only 23 years old, five years younger than the rest of the world, and fourteen years younger than in the United States. It is crucial that this region attests to the high number of active, engaged young people and works toward developing jobs and creating opportunities for the youth. Their energy and vitality must be channeled into productive and capacity-building processes that can benefit the region. As one of the member of ruling family in the UAE and through my active role in few local and international NGOs focused on sustainability, it is crucial that I inspire and empower our youth to engage in sustainable leadership and to be role models. I encourage them to take responsibility and actions through embracing behavior change and building strong belief systems.



We face many challenges with overuse of materials and high consumption rates, and those things have a negative impact on human beings, animals and the environments. One major concern is plastic pollution. Plastic creates toxic pollution at every stage of its existence: manufacture, use and disposal. 



Plastic pollution has become a major issue in the UAE and globally. We believe that by first building a relationship with the Plastic Pollution Coalition, we can then synergize our awareness and expertise around the issues related to plastic pollution and spread creative solution-oriented messages through public campaigns to young champions in the region. Another main focus right now is to have Plastic Free Campuses across the UAE, and with collaboration between select schools in the program. We’re also working on a sustainable entrepreneurship initiative to empower less fortunate women by teaching them to create useful products from plastic waste. We are excited about the next chapter in our advocacy work, and I’m thrilled to be a catalyst in such an inspiring global movement.