Fujairah hosts 11th ArabMAB meeting, UAE retains leadership role

The UAE has been re-elected to chair the ArabMAB Network Executive Committee for a second consecutive term, following the conclusion of the 11th Regional Meeting of Arab National Committees for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (ArabMAB). The six-day meeting and accompanying workshop were hosted in Fujairah from November 17–22 at Al Bahar Hotel & Resort, and organised by the Fujairah Environment Authority in partnership with UNESCO’s Regional Science Office for the Arab States and the National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture.

During the closing session, members unanimously re-elected Asila Abdullah Al Mualla, Director-General of the Fujairah Environment Authority, to chair the Executive Committee for the 2026–2028 term. The decision reflects regional confidence in her leadership during the current term, which runs from 2023 to 2025, and in the progress achieved under the committee’s strategic plan. Key recent achievements include the addition of six new Arab biosphere reserves to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, endorsed during the 37th Session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme held in Hangzhou, China, in September.

Established in Jordan in 1977, the ArabMAB Network works to strengthen cooperation among national MAB committees in the Arab world and to unify joint environmental efforts. The framework supports the designation of new biosphere reserves and drives UNESCO’s global objectives related to sustainability education, research, development, and public awareness.

Today, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves spans 784 sites across 142 countries, including 22 transboundary areas. Recognised globally, these reserves safeguard diverse terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Sub-networks within the global system facilitate knowledge exchange and the adoption of best practices in conservation and balanced management of natural environments.

Speaking at the meeting, Al Mualla said that the past term delivered “unprecedented success” supported by the UAE’s leadership and commitment to environmental priorities. She highlighted significant milestones achieved this year, including the Sultanate of Oman’s first-time joining of the network with the designation of Al Jabal Al Akhdar and Al Siren reserves, alongside the addition of Saudi Arabia’s Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Royal Reserve, Jordan’s Ajloun and Yarmouk reserves, and the Djibouti Reserve. These developments, she noted, contribute to advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target of protecting 30 per cent of the planet’s land and seas by 2030.

Al Mualla expressed appreciation for the renewed confidence placed in her by committee members. “This is both an honour and a responsibility, and it motivates us to continue developing long-term plans that enhance the efficiency of protected area management and redefine what a balanced natural environment means,” she said. She reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to advancing new biosphere reserve designations domestically and across the Arab region.

While all current members of the Executive Committee have been re-elected, the Session also saw the formation of a new advisory committee comprising experts from the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. The body will support the development of stronger joint strategic plans for the ArabMAB Network going forward.