Dr. Najib Saab

Secretary General of the Arab Forum for Environment & Development (AFED), publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia (Environment & Development), the leading pan-Arab magazine on sustainable development, and columnist in leading newspapers.

An architect by training, Najib Saab started his environment career working for UNEP between 1977-79, and continued the relation as adviser and in other capacities. In 1981 he founded the Middle East Centre for Appropriate Technology (MECTAT), which introduced environmentally-friendly solutions and trained thousands in rural areas. He participated as head of delegation, adviser, delegate and/or speaker in all key international conferences on environment, climate change and sustainable development. Laureate of many prestigious awards, including the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global 500 Award in 2003 for environmental achievements, the Zayed International Prize for Environment in 2011 for environmental leadership leading to change in society, and the Award of Mediterranean Parliamentarians in 2021 for the report he edited on Health and the Environment. He is editor of the series of annual reports published by AFED on the state of Arab environment (2008-2023), which have become a main source on sustainable development issues and have triggered major policy changes across the region.