The Diplomat
Majid Al Suwaidi, who headed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy in Spain until last September, has taken up his post as director general of Cop28, the United Nations climate change conference to be held next year in Dubai.
As The Diplomat reported, Al Suwaidi was chosen by the Emirati authorities to coordinate the work of the COP28, taking into account his knowledge of climate change, as he was the Emirati negotiator in the climate agreement reached in Paris in 2015.
Cop28, which will follow on from the COP27 conference in Sharm El Shikh, Egypt, in November this year, will be the most important climate event since the Paris Agreement, when countries pledged to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, Al Suwaidi said on Thursday.
The former ambassador delivered the keynote speech at the Countdown to Cop27 event held at Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort, jointly organised by The Economist and First Abu Dhabi Bank. Al Suwaidi said the decision to host Cop28, to be held at Expo City Dubai, was driven by the “positive story” the UAE has to tell about the benefits of embracing climate change.
The UAE has not yet appointed a new ambassador to Spain.
