Razan Al Mubarak.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his pride on Wednesday for the daughter of the UAE, Razan Al Mubarak, for her election as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Sheikh Mohammed said in a tweet via Twitter: "Proud of the UAE's daughter, Razan Al Mubarak, being elected president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  We are proud of all our national cadres. We are proud of our environmental achievements. We are proud of all the daughters of the nation.”

She is the second woman to head the IUCN in its 72-year history, and the first woman from Western Asia.

Razan Al Mubarak receives applause at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille.

Razan said, "I am truly honoured to have been elected as the 15th President of the IUCN, especially in this critical moment when we need to elevate nature conservation to the forefront of the global sustainability agenda.  

“I am grateful to the UAE leadership and its institutions for their support, trust, confidence, and their belief not only in me but in the importance of elevating the issue of nature conservation globally…”

Razan Al Mubarak during her work in the field.

Razan began her career in the conservation field in 2001 when she helped establish the Emirates Nature WWF, a non-governmental organization affiliated with WWF.

At ENWWF, Razan led coral protection initiatives in the UAE, leading the research that led to the creation of the UAE's first mountainous national park provides the foundation for the protection of nesting and migratory sea turtles.