Leaders for Sustainable MENA

Leaders for a Sustainable Middle East and North Africa

Mobilizing future-ready and climate-resilient economies and societies.

Advancing resilient, sustainable and future-ready systems across the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa is undergoing a period of significant geopolitical, economic and environmental change. As the region advances growth, diversification and digital development, its energy, water, natural resource and infrastructure systems are coming under increasing pressure.

Building future-ready systems will be essential to sustaining momentum. The decisions made today will influence the region’s long-term resilience, competitiveness and ability to deliver sustainable growth in an increasingly complex global context.

Our focus areas

Through Leaders for a Sustainable MENA, government and business leaders work hand-in-hand to scale innovative solutions to drive growth and build more resilient, future-ready systems across the region.

Building sustainable infrastructure systems

Ensuring that the ongoing economic transformation, driven by frontier technologies, is supported by reliable, efficient and sustainable energy, water and cooling systems.

Unlocking sustainable growth through technology and AI

Accelerating the deployment of high-impact AI use cases across sectors to improve resource efficiency, unlock sustainable finance and drive productivity gains.

Enabling sustainability 
at scale

Supporting governments and companies at all stages of their sustainability journey to set clear targets, embed responsible practices and deliver measurable environmental and economic outcomes.

Our impact

Dialogue

We convene leaders from government, business and civil society through a series of high-level gatherings to explore emerging sustainability trends and shape collaborative responses.

Insights

We publish thought leadership and strategic insights on the issues shaping sustainable development in the region, including infrastructure resilience, digital growth, carbon markets, resource efficiency and sustainability performance.


Our latest reports

MENA Satellite
Unlocking Value: AI for Resilient Growth in MENA


The report explores how AI can support sustainable finance and climate action across the region, moving from theory to practical application. It highlights five prototypes developed with leading regional institutions as use cases spanning climate risk, ESG performance, SME financing, and cross-sector collaboration.

Powering AI at Scale: Optimizing Hyperscale Data Centre Infrastructure in MENA

The report examines how MENA can expand hyperscale data centres to support its AI ambitions while managing growing pressure on energy and water systems. It presents a practical framework for resilient growth, including a resource–intelligence matrix and recommendations for energy efficiency, cooling, and regulatory reform.

MENA Satellite
Prioritizing Sustainability in MENA: Mapping Critical Environmental Issues for Regional Businesses

This report offers a roadmap for companies across the region to elevate their environmental disclosure practices and sustainability performance in alignment with internationally recognized standards.

Closing the Climate Action Gap: Accelerating Decarbonization and the Energy Transition in MENA

This report, developed with the input of LSM members, identifies how best to raise cross-border public-private collaboration in MENA to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Navigating Article 6: Opportunities for the Middle East and North Africa

This report is designed to help public and private entities in MENA better operationalize mechanisms in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.


Enabling Measures Roadmap for Low-Carbon Hydrogen in MENA 

This roadmap serves as a valuable toolbox to gain an overview of top policy developments, funding, and initiatives across the MENA region.

Read more about our work

How can we harness AI for a resilient and sustainable energy sector?

This article explores how AI can help the energy sector strengthen resilience, improve sustainability performance and support decarbonization, while managing the growing energy demand and environmental footprint of AI itself.


Saudi Arabia satellite image
How the Middle East and North Africa can optimize the region's data centres and AI infrastructure

This piece examines the mounting infrastructure pressures and outlines a pathway to optimize energy use, enhance efficiency and align policy frameworks—unlocking sustainable growth while safeguarding critical resources.


Saudi Arabia satellite image
Saudi Arabia's new AI-powered sustainability platform could unlock $20 billion by 2030

This article highlights the role of the SUSTAIN platform in enabling more effective collaboration, improving project visibility and accelerating impact, offering a new model for scaling sustainable development through technology.


data files passing through motherboard
AI for sustainable development: how Bahrain is driving public-sector transformation through tech

Bahrain is using artificial intelligence (AI) to modernize the public sector and accelerate sustainable development. By strengthening policy, institutions, investment access and impact tracking, AI can help turn national priorities into measurable progress.

Part of the Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics

The Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics helps stakeholders navigate shifting geopolitical landscapes and opportunities in the intelligent age, and provides them with a trusted platform to shape cooperation and drive economic reforms.

Leaders for Sustainable MENA

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