Abdelgadir Salih joined the UNESCO Khartoum office in 2016 and is a National Professional Officer in the Science Sector.

Abdelgadir Salih has been working for UNESCO in their Khartoum Office since 2016 and is responsible for the Sciences Sector including the Water Sciences & IHP Programme, Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB), and Science, Technology and Innovation in addition to support for other UNESCO Activities in Sudan. Additionally, Abdelgadir has been responsible for Culture programmes at the UNESCO Khartoum Office and IOS Focal Person.

His ongoing Natural Sciences programmes and projects focus on the IWRM Network, Early Warning System for Floods and Drought, Water Harvesting, Flood Management, Strengthening the Management of Biosphere Reserves, Advancing gender equality in STEM, Advanced Technologies, Rising Groundwater, COVID-19 and networking among stakeholders. His ongoing culture programmes and projects include the rehabilitation of National Museum project, Indigenous languages, Cultural Policies, Sustainable Tourism, Heritage Sites Conservation and Living Heritage.

Abdelgadir has two Master’s degrees from the University of Leeds, (UK) (MENG & MSC (ENG)). He was awarded the Master of Engineering Degree with honors in 2002, after completing a 4-year course at the School of Civil Engineering, including a graduation project on the design and rehabilitation of concrete water tanks in conjunction with Ove Arup. Additionally, he was awarded a Master of Science (Engineering) by Research degree from the University of Leeds based on an evaluation of a thesis on low-cost wastewater treatment evaluation including a case study in Errol, Scotland on a joint project between the University of Leeds and Scottish Water. He is a dynamic participant in many water and wastewater-related events including conferences, online conferences, and exhibitions in Sudan, UAE, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and Egypt. Furthermore, he has been providing support, advice, and recommendations to many organizers of water many organizers of water and wastewater-related conferences.

Abdelgadir has been active in research in the field of water and wastewater engineering since his graduation from the University of Leeds in the field of wastewater treatment and collection in developing countries during his stay in Sudan from 2005 to 2007. Also, he did research in the field of sedimentation in dams and reservoirs during the period of 2007 to 2008 at the National University of Singapore; and on MBR systems and Vacuum sewerage systems in the period 2008 to 2011, while working as a consultant in UAE. His research work resulted in two internationally recognized publications; one on Aerated Lagoons in Scotland, which was published in the 2006 edition of Water and Environment Journal, and the other on MBR in the GCC region, which was published as abstract & proceeding in International Desalination Conference in Dubai, 2009. In 2012, he did research presented on the subject of Ground Water Recharge with Treated Sewage Effluent in the Second Gulf Wastewater Summit. Additionally, in 2014 he cooperated with the Water and Draught Initiative (WADI) between the University of Leeds and UAE University where he has contributed voluntarily as an Industrial Member of the research group on Water Balance Study for Abu Dhabi Emirate/UAE and Capacity Development. Finally, he has done research and presented on the Use of Drones in Construction Management at the Abu Dhabi University Annual Conference in November 2015.

Dr. Mohamed Alaoui joined the UNESCO Rabat office in 2018 and is a Programme Specialist in Natural and Exact Sciences.

Dr. Alaoui is a senior water and rural development expert with a broad background and experience in various fields related to science and sustainable development acquired during a 28-year professional career. The main fields of his expertise are related to integrated water resources management, water governance, irrigation, climate change adaptation, water policy, water education, public-private partnership, strategic studies, projects’ feasibility studies regarding environmental and economic aspects, design and construction of dams, design, and implementation of drinking water supply projects and flood protection infrastructures.

Before joining UNESCO in 2018, Dr. Alaoui led several strategic studies and expert missions for the benefit of international institutions from 2015 to 2018: the World Bank, the African Development Bank, UNESCO, FAO, the Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), German Technical Cooperation (GIZ), Royal Institute of Strategic Studies (IRES), the Global Institute for Water, Environment & Health GENEVA-Switzerland, national and international consulting offices and others.

From 1993 to 2014, Dr. Alaoui held several positions at the Moroccan Ministry in charge of Water in different fields related to water mobilization, management, and policy.

Since 2018, Dr. Alaoui has held the position of Science Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb. He is in charge of developing and implementing science programs in the Maghreb countries in accordance with UNESCO’s strategic priorities and objectives related to water, climate change, biodiversity, science technology, and innovation.

Donia Abdelwahed joined the UNESCO Gulf States & Yemen office in 2018 and is Programme Manager in the Science Sector.

Donia Abdelwahed joined the UNESCO sub-regional office for the Gulf States and Yemen in 2018, as Programme Officer for the Science Sector. Since then, Donia has been working on implementing UNESCO’s core thematic areas in the fields of Environmental Sustainability and Biodiversity, Water Security, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as well as Education for Sustainable Development.

Donia holds a Master of Science in the field of Plant biotechnology. She has previously worked with the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture in the Sub-regional office for North Africa in Tunisia.

Dr. Salah Khaled joined the UNESCO Doha office in 2022 as Director and UNESCO Representative to Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Dr. Salah Khaled is appointed as the Director of the UNESCO Doha Office for Gulf States and Yemen, and UNESCO Representative to Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, as of 1 May 2022.

Dr. Khaled’s career with the United Nations began in 1993, with the Operational Unit for Development Assistance (OUDA), a UNDP and Ministry of Foreign Affairs programme in Egypt, and subsequently at the UNICEF Office in Cairo from 1995 to 2001. He joined UNESCO in 2001 taking up several key positions in the Middle East, Asia, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, including some post-conflict and post-disaster countries. From 2001 to 2003, he was Chief of the Iraq Liaison and Procurement Unit based in Amman Jordan facilitating the Organization’s operations in Iraq under the Oil for Food Programme. From 2003 to 2011, as Liaison and Administrative Officer at the UNESCO Iraq Office in Amman where he contributed to the establishment of the extra-budgetary funded portfolio for Iraq and also participated in several UN System-wide joint programming for the restructuring of the education system, protection of cultural heritage, peace building and conflicts resolution. In 2010, Dr. Khaled provided backstopping in the Port-au-Prince Office in the aftermath of the devastating Earthquake, coordinating the response of the Organization in relief programmes. In 2011, he served as Officer-in-Charge for the UNESCO Office in Islamabad (Pakistan), and then from 2011 to 2012, he served first as Officer-in-Charge at the UNESCO Office in Juba and then in 2013 as Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to South Sudan. Dr. Khaled has also served in the North Africa region from 2016 to 2018 as Regional Director a.i. of the UNESCO Office in Rabat and UNESCO representative to Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Before joining the UNESCO Doha Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, Dr. Khaled latest post was Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa based in Yaoundé in Cameroon and UNESCO Representative to Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe.

A graduate of the American University in Cairo with a BA in Political Sciences and an MBA in Human Development from the Arab Academy in Alexandria, he speaks fluent English, French, and Spanish in addition to his maternal Arabic. Dr. Khaled is married and has a son and a daughter.

Dr. George Awad joined UNESCO Beirut office in 2003 and is a National Professional Officer in the Communication and Information Sector.

Dr. George Awad has been working with UNESCO Regional office in Beirut since 2003 as the national professional officer for the Communication and Information sector. In 2006, he was entrusted also with the responsibilities of the Natural Science sector with a special focus on water education, Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB).

He has over 24 years of experience in the field of Information and communication technology, media development, Internet technologies in both private and public sectors. This is interpreted through activities related to ICT in education, Internet safety, freedom of expression, access to information, safety of journalists and Media and Information Literacy to name a few.

He has complemented this with science-related experience, in particular, within the biosphere reserves management, ICT in science, IWRM, and using renewable energy resources to power water supply facilities.

His long practical experience has contributed to his involvement in strategic planning, assessment, and implementation of national and regional projects on media, technology, and science-related topics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and applied mathematics from Sydney University (Australia).

Dr. Elsa Sattout joined the UNESCO Cairo office in 2017 and is Programme Specialist for Ecology and Earth Sciences in the Arab region.

Dr. Elsa Sattout joined UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States in Cairo in June 2017. She is currently managing the Ecology and Earth Sciences Programme in the Arab region. She is an Interdisciplinary Professional with 24+ years of experience in international, regional, and national development projects, spearheading research initiatives, and technology transfer and capacity development.

Dr. Elsa started her career with UN in 2000, as Regional Coordinator of the Biodiversity Planning Support Programme in the Northern Arabian Peninsula. In 2007, she was appointed as UNEP Regional Advisor on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in West Asia. She worked with international organizations (UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, IUCN, AFD, GIZ, Plan Bleu etc.), government agencies, and the private sector on development projects and applied research initiatives and programmes related to numerous fields of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, climate change, environmental valuation of ecosystems services, natural heritage management and sustainable development. She has strong expertise in the governance of environmental policies and conservation and adaptation instruments, as well as in national and regional strategic and inclusive socioeconomic-environmental planning.

Dr. Elsa taught in various renowned Lebanese universities where she developed and delivered courses on various aspects of Natural Sciences, Environmental Ethics, Sustainable Development, and Environmental Economy. In 2013, she published her first book on native trees in Lebanon and neighbouring countries. She was the lead author of the Biota Chapter of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO6) of the Arab Region and North Africa. She has published chapters in books and manuscripts and articles in peer-reviewed journals. More recently, Elsa authored 2 UNESCO publications and was the leader of the development of UNESCO Atlas on Natural Hazards in the Arab Region: A Tool for socio-ecological Systems Resilience and Adaptation.

Dr. Elsa is an Agriculture Engineer and holds a MSc. degree in Biodiversity Conservation and a PhD degree from the University of Reading in the UK. She was awarded Myriam Rothschild Scholarship for the MPhil in Conservation Leadership at Cambridge University in 2014.

Dr. Nazar M. Hassan joined UNESCO Cairo office in 2009 and is Senior Science and Technology Advisor for the Arab States.

Dr. Nazar M. Hassan has been the Senior Science and Technology Advisor for the Arab States at UNESCO Regional Office for Sciences since 2009, where he has initiated several networks to build up the region’s techno-preneurship culture. Dr. Hassan has substantively participated in policy dialogue in a number of countries to update/renew their Science Technology and Innovation policies (STI) and support their efforts toward sustainable development.

Previously, he worked as Senior Economist in the Sustainable Development Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia. Dr. Hassan also worked as a senior researcher in the area of systems optimization at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the United States between 1992 and 2003.

Dr. Hassan has a number of published papers and reports in the area of strategic management for Sustainable Development. Dr. Hassan received his Master of Science in the area of renewable energy technologies, and his doctorate degree in Systems Optimization (Industrial Engineering), with a focus on Sustainable Energy Development (SED) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the United States. In a few words, Mr. Hassan is an engineer by profession, a scientist, and an inventor with a strong aptitude for global problems solving.