In August 2022, Ambassador Majid Al-Suwaidi was appointed Director General of the UAE Presidency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference, COP 28, which will take place in Expo City Dubai in November 2023.

In this decisive decade for climate action, the UAE will seek to bring the world together to agree bold, practical, and ambitious solutions to this unprecedented global challenge. With a proven track record of building consensus in international negotiations ranging from climate change to energy to aviation, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi brings invaluable diplomatic expertise to the UAE COP Presidency.

As the UAE’s Lead Negotiator on Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi played a key role in the negotiation and adoption of the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015, as well as in the design and adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In his most recent role, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi served as the UAE Ambassador to Spain, Andorra, and Vatican City. In a previous role as Consul General, he was responsible for opening the UAE’s first ever consulate in New York, where he also led the UAE Mission to the United Nations.

As well as being a firm believer in the power of multilateralism, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi also brings considerable insight into the scale and practical complexity involved in the global transition to clean energy, having worked for almost a decade in the international energy sector.

Ambassador Al-Suwaidi has an undergraduate degree in Geology from Brunel University (United Kingdom), as well as a graduate degree in Earth Sciences from Simon Fraser University (Canada).

Alex is the Head of Business Development for Petrofac’s New Energy Services group. He leads the business development efforts, identifying opportunities, driving growth and customer engagements, to win work and expand the business.

Alex began his career as a British Army Officer in the Royal Logistic Corps, and joined Petrofac in 2019 from Wood, where he was Senior Vice President of Business Development looking after its, oil and gas, nuclear mining, and environmental business.

He is passionate about moving the energy industry into a decarbonized future and using the technical and project skills of the industry to drive towards providing energy solutions that align with the Paris goals. He is equally passionate in encouraging and mentoring young entrants in the industry, driving diversity of background, views, and experiences to improve business outcomes.

After working on projects in Africa and the Middle East, Alex has spent the majority of his industry career undertaking senior business development roles across European, Middle Eastern and African business streams. Before joining Petrofac, Alex worked for KBR and then Wood for 15 years on various project roles in Nigeria, London, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Ryan McPherson is the Regional Director (Middle East, Africa, Russia & CIS) for EIC (Energy Industries Council), the UKs largest energy trade association whose key role is to help its members maximise commercial opportunities worldwide in the energy sector.

Leading the team at EIC since 2019, Ryan has been based in the region since 2011 and has extensive experience of working across the GCC.

He is a long-standing judge on the ADIPEC Awards Technical Committee and member of the UAE UK Business Council Energy & Sustainability Working Group. He was the recipient of the Rising Star Award at the 2010 Scottish Offshore Achievement Awards and a founding member of the Oil and Gas UK ‘Next Generation’ Task Force, and has presented across the globe at Offshore Europe, ADIPEC, SPE Applied Technology Workshops and the Produced Water Society.

Prior to joining EIC, Ryan worked for ProSep where he led the company’s Middle East operations as General Manager, integrating the company’s tools and solutions into many of the regions national oil and gas companies. Ryan was also the Middle East & APAC Regional Director for the Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF), a membership organisation which supports oil and gas product and service companies bringing new technologies to market, launching their GCC cluster. Ryan holds a BA (Hons) in Law and Management and a MBA in Oil and Gas Management.