MENA Businesswomen Leading The Sustainability Agenda
These five leaders are making sure that sustainability is top of mind for some key MENA companies.
• Maha AlQattan Company: DP World
Title: Group Chief Sustainability Officer
AlQattan joined DP World in 2017 and assumed her current role in 2022. In 2023, the company raised a $1.5 billion green sukuk to support its global decarbonization efforts. The proceeds from the sukuk will be dedicated to green projects focused on electrification, renewable energy, and transportation. Around 60% of DP World's electricity now comes from renewable sources, aligning with the company's broader sustainability commitments. AlQattan is also a board member at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and a member of the board of trustees at Université Panthéon Assas (Paris II), among other roles.
• Ghada Hammouda Company: Qalaa Holdings Title: Group Chief Sustainability Officer
Having joined Qalaa Holdings in 2008, Hammouda assumed her current position in 2015. The group's subsidiary, TAQA Arabia, pioneered privateto-private mini solar plants in 2023, generating power from the Benban solar PV park in Egypt and connecting 80,000 homes per year to the natural gas grid. TAQA Arabia subsidiary TAQA Power's largest solar power plant in Sharm El-Sheikh reduces 500,000 tons of carbon emissions in 25 years. In July 2023, Qalaa Holdings, ECARU, and Axens cooperated to conduct technical and economic studies to produce second-generation biofuels and sustainable aviation fuel from lignocellulosic biomass. Hammouda is also an independent member of the Egyptian Stock Exchange's sustainability committee, a founding member of Green Transformation Partners, and a member of the sustainability committee at Qalaa Holdings, among other positions.
• Alia Busamra Company: ENOC Group Title: Chief Sustainability & Climate Change Officer
Busamra has over 20 years of experience with ENOC Group and was appointed to her current position in 2023. In December 2023, ENOC Group opened its first green hydrogen station with DEWA. Busamra is also a member of the Dubai Executive Demand Side Management Committee and the global alliance lead director general for the World Green Economy Organization.
• Hanaa Helmy Company: EFG Holding
Title: Group Chief Sustainability Officer
Helmy has been working with EFG Holding since 2006. In 2022, the EFG Hermes Foundation for Social Development signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, represented by the General Authority for Educational Buildings, to transition over 100 schools in Luxor and Aswan to clean solar energy. Helmy is also the CEO of EFG Hermes Foundation and a member of the Egyptian Stock Exchange's sustainability advisory committee.
• Leya Al Damani Company: Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB)
Title: Chief Sustainability Officer
Al Damani joined DIB in September 2023. In the same month, the bank launched its “One Tree for Everyone” initiative, committing to planting one tree for every new customer who opens a DIB account. In December 2023, DIB joined other U.A.E.-based banks to collectively pledge to mobilize over $272.2 billion in sustainable finance by 2030. Before joining DIB, Al Damani was a senior vice president at Aldar Properties.